Xcessive Force
by CarVie16
Summary: 3 years after the events of Resident Evil 6, Leon and Claire's happy reunion is horribly interrupted by a new bioterrorist threat. B.O.W.s. from the past start popping up everywhere. The two Raccoon City survivors - along with allies such as Chris, Jill, Sherry, Jake, and possibly Ada - must once again face the demons haunting their lives to save the world. (Leon/Claire, Cleon)
1. Raccoon City Survivors

**Just a little not-so-fun fact about myself: I don't like zombies. Not just because they're scary and nightmare-inducing but also because I don't see a lot of fun in stories involving zombies (people die except most of the heroes, and all that).**

**Yet, Resident Evil is the one zombie-related franchise that actually caught my attention. I guess it's the charming characters that won me over - Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Ada Wong, etc. - well, them and the RE2 Remake's Mr. X (*cue X 'Gon Give It To Ya*). I'm still not a fan of the zombies, but now I'm sort of a Resident Evil fan. And that's why I started this story.**

**Please enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

Aboard an airplane exiting Wisconsin and flying to D.C. is one Leon S. Kennedy. He chose a window seat specifically just to look out the window and reflect on his life, like he usually does. Considering what he has gone through for the past couple of decades, he has nothing to do in his free time but think.

_"If you told this 21-year-old rookie cop in Raccoon City that his future was gonna be full of shooting zombies and combating bioterrorism, he might've laughed. But that was 18 years ago and that rookie is no longer a rookie. He's now a special agent working for the U.S. Government, who has been doing nothing but shooting zombies and combating bioterrorism. Hell of a life, huh? Trust me. It's no thrill in the movies, and it's definitely no thrill in real life. Lost a lot of good people in these wars, and I had to witness those losses with my own eyes. But I can't do this forever, even if I need to. I look in the mirror and remind myself that I'm not that young anymore. At my age, most people would either be already married or looking for someone special. Well, you can say I have my eye on someone special, but... it's complicated."_

The plane stops at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Leon gets off and stands in the middle of the terminal for a minute, staring at the blue sky out the window. He was in no rush anyway, so he can take his time, linger at any place for as long as he can. _Too bad the world can't be as beautiful as the skies above_, Leon joked in his head. The threat of bioterrorism still continues even after the fall of Umbrella. It's a matter of who and when. Leon would prefer not to think about it too hard.

Leon turned around to leave, only to bump into someone who was on the phone. To his surprise, it wasn't just some random person. It was someone he knew. Someone who he hasn't seen in a long time.

"Claire?"

"Leon?"

Claire had stopped talking to whoever she was talking to on the phone, all because of the surprise she felt in seeing the blonde ex-cop who she remembered fighting alongside with during the viral disaster in Raccoon City. Leon too felt like his brain was turning off slowly. To see Claire again, it was more than just a pleasant feeling. The special agent and the biker enthusiast just stare longingly at each other, neither one attempting to say a word, probably due to the awkward way they "bumped" into each other.

Leon couldn't help but admire how beautiful Claire still looks after all these years. While you can see that she's definitely grown from the cute biker he met from 18 years ago, it's easy to mistake her as someone younger than her own age. Not that it's a bad thing. Claire is, for sure, still just as pretty, if not more, as she was from long ago.

And Claire can think the same of Leon. The man is almost 40, but she can still see the youth in his face... or maybe it's just the haircut. Same as before, just slightly longer with some golden locks half-covering his right eye. She even leaned a little to the right just to see the rest of his face. The boy went from that cute and naive police officer to... how would she describe his looks now?

_"Claire? Claire? Claire, do you hear me?" The person on the other side of Claire's phone asked._

"Um... uh... I have to go. I'll call you later," said Claire.

Claire awkwardly hangs up the phone, bringing her attention back to her fellow Raccoon City survivor. He finally smiled (a little smile, but it counts), so she did as well.

"Boyfriend?" Leon teased, referring to her phone call.

"Moira," Claire corrected. "She agreed to cover for me at TerraSave while I'm here."

"And what are you doing here in D.C.?" asked Leon.

"I'm here to see the President," said Claire. "Being the new head of TerraSave requires so much, you know."

"The job fitting you well?" asked Leon.

"More or less. Truth be told, I'd rather be fighting a horde of zombies than a skyscraper of paperwork... not that I'm saying I want another bioterrorist attack," said Claire. "I almost quit after what happened with Neil and She-Wesker - Barry's words, not mine - but then I was offered the position and Moira couldn't let me pass it up. I had to accept it, for her, for Barry, for everyone who needed my help."

"Well, TerraSave couldn't ask for a better leader," Leon complimented.

"So, what brings you here? Is there another bioterror attack coming? Did I come to the wrong airport again?" Claire asked.

"Thankfully not," said Leon.

"So, I guess this means we finally meet under normal circumstances," said Claire.

"Thank God," Leon said, relieved.

"Feels weird, but it feels better," said Claire.

Feeling overwhelmed by the awkward atmosphere, Claire attempts to distract herself by opening the folder in her had and checking the files inside, even though she already knew all the details inside. When her eyes briefly glanced at him, she decided to walk away. Leon felt something spike inside him, not wanting Claire to walk away.

"Hey," Leon called suddenly.

Claire stopped and looked back at Leon, who seemed unsure of what to say. The next thing that came out of his mouth, he didn't know where it came from but he said it anyway.

"Are you free this afternoon?" He asked.

"Well, I don't meet with the President until tonight, so probably," said Claire.

"How about lunch? Whatever you want, wherever you like. I'll pay for everything, if you want," Leon offered.

"You sure?" asked Claire.

"My job sucks, but I get paid well," said Leon. "So, no problem. Besides, we haven't seen each other in a while. We might as well take advantage of this little reunion."

"Um, sure," Claire agreed. "There's this fancy place here in D.C. I always wanted to try out. I was gonna go there after meeting with the President, but, well, you're here now."

"Point the way, Ms. Redfield," Leon said flippantly.

"And I shall, Mr. Kennedy," Claire said playfully.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Claire led Leon to a fancy restaurant that was pretty expensive, but Leon still insisted on paying for everything. Good thing Claire wasn't in the mood for a heavy lunch, so Leon won't be paying that big of a bill later. Still, she enjoyed teasing him with the restaurant's prices, and Leon could do nothing but be amused by the redhead's sense of humor. Almost 20 years older from when they first met and she still likes to act a bit like a woman-child around him. But Claire's merry personality is one of the things that Leon admires the most about her.

"So, how have you been, Mr. Special Agent?" asked Claire. "Seen any new zombies lately?"

"Not since Lanshiang," said Leon. "It's just been simple special agent tasks from the President these past three years."

"Sounds like it's been boring for you these past three years," Claire guessed, judging from his tone.

"Yeah, sorry if I don't have any exciting stories to share," said Leon.

"Well, same here," said Claire. "It's just paperwork and trying to make sure Moira doesn't curse and swear during meetings."

"I can see why you miss the zombies," Leon joked.

"Missing them and wanting them back are two different things," Claire replied. "But enough about B.O.W.s. What's next for Leon Scott Kennedy?"

Leon snickered. Hearing someone addresses him with his middle name included, he couldn't help but laugh a little. But then he thought about her question. What _is_ next for Leon Kennedy? Is he just supposed to fight bioterrorism until his hair turns grey? He was thinking about this back on the plane, and Claire has him thinking about it again.

"I don't know, really," Leon said with melancholy. "You?"

"Me neither," Claire admitted sadly.

The two continued to eat their meals. However, the change of mood since the start of their meal has affected the rate their eating. For Leon, it's because he's going through an existential crisis. For Claire, it's the overwhelmingly awkward tension between her and Leon. Just as she glanced at him, he looked at her as well. Cue the long stare that only fed into the awkwardness surrounding them like a tear gas grenade just exploded.

"You do know what this looks like, right?" Claire asked.

"A man and a woman in a fancy restaurant talking about their lives and joking around, yeah, pretty much," Leon replied.

Claire smiled awkwardly and said, "I know we're just catching up, but I'm getting a different vibe here."

"I never did take you out on that first date, didn't I?" Leon said flirtatiously.

Claire laughed as she remembered. Eighteen years ago. Just escaped Raccoon City with Leon and Sherry. Sherry asked if she and Leon were "boyfriend and girlfriend," to which they gawkily answered with a no. Oh, how young and awkward they were back then. Had they stayed together for the entirety of that infamous night, it would've felt more like a first date.

"Well, I was busy taking care of Sherry and you were busy fooling around with that Ada Wong girl," said Claire.

"I wouldn't say we were... fooling around... it was just the one kiss," Leon replied nervously.

"I'm guessing Raccoon City wasn't the last time you saw her," Claire figured. "China?"

"It's complicated," Leon evaded.

"Complicated in a way that talking about it makes you tense?" Claire teased.

"You're not gonna drop it, are you?" Leon asked with an annoyed smile.

"I just never thought Leon Kennedy would be such a lady killer," Claire teased further. "Angela. This Ada woman. Who knows how many more?"

"Are you counting yourself?" Leon teased back.

"In your dreams, Kennedy," Claire denied. "But if you really want that first date, keep dreaming."

Leon sighs before saying, "Claire, I think..."

Leon is cut off when something dropped into the restaurant from the ceiling and crashed onto a table, crushing the two people dining on said table. Everyone was shocked as they eyed what appeared to be a big metal box.

"What the hell?" Claire wondered, shocked.

The small red light on the box turned green as it opened. To everyone's horror, inside the box were a bunch of zombies. Dead skin, lifeless eyes, bleeding teeth, and animalistic groaning. Yup, it's zombies. Seven of them, if you were counting. After picking themselves up from the crash, they wasted no time lunging towards anyone with living flesh, prompting everyone to run for their lives.

"I think they missed you, too, Claire," Leon joked.

"Not funny," said Claire.

Three men and two women were unlucky as the zombies bit their necks first and ripped the skin off their bodies with their teeth. One guy who stupidly cornered himself got bitten on the nose first. Fortunately, the rest of this guy's face was saved when the zombie biting his nose was shot in the side of the head.

It was Leon, armed with his .45 Wing Shooter. Claire herself was armed, too, with a .38 ACP.

"Always prepared, huh, Agent Kennedy?" asked Claire.

"So are you, Ms. Redfield," Leon replied formally.

While everyone runs out of the restaurant, Leon and Claire stay to fight the zombies. It is what they do, after all.

Leon shoots Zombies #2 and #3 in the heads with quick ease. Zombie #4 was about to grab a kitchen chef, but Leon shoots it in the head before it could. Zombie #5 was about to bite Leon from behind, but its groaning gave its position away. Leon turns around, shoves the end of his gun into its open mouth, and pulls the trigger, blowing a hole through the back of its head. He added a bullet to #5's head just in case.

Claire helps a high-heels-wearing woman on her feet and towards the exit. Zombie #6 makes its way towards the younger Redfield. She kicks it away from her before shooting it through its brain. Zombie #7 lunges at her, but she swerves to the side, leaving it to aimlessly stumble towards nothing but air. She quickly puts a bullet in its head before it could turn around.

"Is that all?" asked Claire.

"That's all of them," Leon confirmed.

"What the hell just happened?" Claire wondered, still in shock. "And where did that crate come from?"

Leon investigates the crate. It was made of steel, a little rusty, and seemed to have been opened remotely. But what he found next shocked him more than the sudden appearances of the zombies.

"I think you should take a look at this," said Leon.

Claire stands next to Leon and looks at whatever he is looking. She too became shocked by what he saw. There was a symbol on the box. A reminder of the worst night of their lives. A symbol that can trigger your worst nightmares.

"Umbrella?"

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere else in D.C., DSO Agent Sherry Birkin was about to leave her apartment and head to DSO Headquarters. She just received word that Leon had returned to D.C. and she planned to meet up with him later. As she packed her belongings, she checked her phone, hoping to get a message from a certain someone. So far, no new message yet from Jake Mueller. _He must be busy_, she thought. It's been three years since they last saw each other, and she hasn't paid him the $50 he asked for (It was supposed to be $50 million, but their journey together compelled him to change his mind).

"Well, wherever you are, I hope you're safe," said Sherry.

Just as Sherry was about to walk out the door, someone knocked. Sherry looks through the peephole, but all she saw is black clothing. Whoever is at the door must be really tall for her not to see his face through the peephole.

Sherry decides to open the door, only to be shocked and horrified by what she saw. Flashbacks to Raccoon City arise as she gazes upon a face that horrified her just as much as all the horrors she encountered on that very night.

"Oh, my God," Sherry muttered with fear.

Standing there in his dark trench coat and fedora with that blank expression on his wrinkly grey face...

A Tyrant of the T-103 series, a.k.a. Mr. X.

**Well, that was quite the start. A lunch date ruined by zombies. A memory from the past wearing a nice hat coming to haunt Sherry. Only in Resident Evil, am I right?**

**So, what do you think of this first chapter? Don't be afraid to let me know what you think.**


	2. Enter X

**Remember Mr. X from the previous chapter's cliffhanger? Well, there's a reason why "excessive" in the title is spelled with just an "X" at the start instead of "ex". It's just fun wordplay, but also something more. Read and enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: mrCRACKZvid, manu, Vince Basile Jr**

**_To manu_: Lo siento por eso. Pero esto es solo en ingles.**

Leon and Claire return to DSO Headquarters to report to Ingrid Hunnigan about the recent zombie attack. Cleanup at the restaurant was no problem, but explaining it to the public was the hard part. Five casualties. One married couple, one couple in a relationship, and someone's husband. The two Raccoon City survivors can only scold themselves for not reacting fast enough. Right now, all that matters is finding out where and why. Where it came from. Why it happened in the place that they just happen to be at.

"And it just dropped out the sky, just like that?" Hunnigan questioned, just after hearing their story.

"I can't help but think Claire and I were the targets," said Leon.

"I know how you feel. Two people well-known for battling bioterrorism and someone just dropped zombies on their heads in the middle of the day. No way it's a coincidence," said Claire.

"Your brother may want to hear about this," said Leon.

"I don't like it when he gets protective of me, but... you're right," said Claire. "I'll call Chris. We're gonna need him."

"It may take a while for your brother to get here. He and Jill Valentine are on a mission in Mexico," Hunnigan reported.

"Then I'll call the BSAA first, get through to him through them," said Claire.

Claire makes a call in an attempt to inform her brother of what just happened to her and Leon. While she does that, Leon and Hunnigan continue to discuss the situation regarding the zombie attack from earlier.

"If you and Redfield are really the targets of this new Umbrella, then who's to say there aren't more in store for you two?" Hunnigan wondered.

"That's what I'm afraid of. I'm worried just by being here, even if this place is filled with armed agents," said Leon.

"We're working on tracking whatever dropped that crate in the restaurant," said Hunnigan. "Most likely, it came from an airborne vehicle. If we pinpoint its possible location when it delivered the package, then we can work on locating where it could be right now."

"Meanwhile, Claire and I need to get out of the city," said Leon. "We can't risk more innocent lives. We'll hide in a jungle if we have to, just as long as the next bioterror attack doesn't result in more unwanted deaths."

"You'd rather put yourselves in danger?" Hunnigan questioned.

"I don't like it either, Hunnigan. But I can't take any chances," said Leon.

Claire had just finished her phone call.

"I just talked to Clive O'Brian. He'll contact Chris for us," said Claire.

"Good. Right now, we need to go," said Leon. "Hunnigan, be sure to tell Chris..."

Leon's phone rings, interrupting him. He checks the caller ID. It was Sherry Birkin, much to Claire's delight. She hasn't seen the used-to-be-little-girl in a long, long time. Now that she's here in D.C. with Leon and Sherry just so happens to be a fellow DSO agent, she can finally see her.

"Sherry was supposed to be here earlier," said Leon.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Hunnigan.

"Oh, don't say that," Claire said, hoping nothing bad has come of Sherry.

Leon answers the phone and puts it on speakerphone, knowing Claire would like to talk to the (other) blonde agent as well.

_"Leon!" Sherry shouted, sounding panicked._

"Sherry, what's going on?" asked Leon.

"Are you okay?" asked Claire.

"Wait... Claire? Claire, is that you?" Sherry asked, recognizing the second voice.

"Yes, it's me," Claire confirmed. "What's wrong? You sound... are in trouble?"

_"Remember that Tyrant that chased you guys around Raccoon City?" asked Sherry._

"How can I forget? That big guy was more bothersome than Simmons," Leon responded.

"Stalker expert," Claire added.

_"Well, it's twin brother's here in my hotel!" Sherry informed._

"What?!" Leon and Claire exclaimed worriedly.

_"Just come over quick! I can't leave the building, not without endangering innocent lives," said Sherry. "Well, more innocent lives. It's not looking pretty here."_

"Don't worry, Sherry. We're coming," Claire assured, sounding like a worried mother. "Just stay safe until we get there, okay?"

_"I'm not 12 anymore, Claire. I can take care of myself... mostly," said Sherry. "Gotta go. It's still following me."_

A few gunshots are heard before Sherry ended the call.

"I guess that jungle tour will have to wait," Leon commented.

* * *

At the hotel Sherry stays in, she was running as fast as she can to get away from the hat-wearing, trench-coat-clad Tyrant. Anyone who gets in the way who can't get away fast enough are unfortunate, as the Tyrant shoves or punches them out of his way with force. Sherry had to unfortunately witness the gruesome demise of an innocent bellhop. He was leaning back against a wall when the Tyrant threw its fist at him, smashing his face against the flat surface, splattering his blood everywhere. No matter how much violence she has seen in her life, that death was way too horrifying.

"Oh, my God," Sherry said with horror.

The Tyrant turns its attention back to Sherry and walks towards her. Its "walking" might as well be considered speed-walking, as its strides cover more ground than a normal human being. Sherry can only imagine what "speed-walking" is like for that monster. No time to find out, though. She has to run, run, run for her life.

"Leon, Claire, you better get here immediately," Sherry hoped.

Sherry makes it to the hotel's dining area. Unfortunately, there are still some people there.

"How did that thing walk in here without drawing attention?" Sherry wondered quietly. She raises her voice and shouts, "Everyone get out of here! Now! Quick!"

Sherry had to run before she could explain. It didn't take long until the Tyrant arrived at the dining area, scaring everyone away. For some reason, the Tyrant unnecessarily backhands a fleeing man right in the face, almost killing him. The Tyrant didn't bother with the other guests as it was focused on looking for Sherry, who is now hiding. It looks left and right, waiting for any noise that could lead it to her. No noise so far.

Sherry is hiding under a buffet table, hoping she can stay quiet and stay hidden long enough for the Tyrant to leave her alone or for Leon and Claire to pull off a daring last-minute rescue. Right now, she just breathes as quietly as she can, trying not to make any noise.

The Tyrant's footsteps, however, were not making it easy. The menacing thumping that his boots make as he walked around the area are nerve-racking. She can only imagine just how afraid Leon and Claire were when the the Tyrant of that night was following them everywhere. To think they were safe one moment, only to hear those footsteps coming towards their direction, causing them to run away in alarm.

When the footsteps quieted, Sherry sighed with relief.

Unfortunately, that sigh gave her position away as the Tyrant lifted the table, scaring her. The Tyrant throws the table away with one hand as he walks closer towards its target, who is scurrying backwards as fast as she can. She grabs her gun and desperately fires non-stop, but the bullets are doing nothing to it. Sherry soon runs out of the bullets as the gun just makes a clicking sound every time she pulls the trigger. She tosses it aside and keeps scurrying backwards.

"Please, no, stay away!" Sherry begged, even if it's futile.

Sherry hits a wall. She's cornered. No way to go. She can only close her eyes and brace herself for the inevitable pounding. For some reason, the Tyrant hesitated. He watched Sherry cower and whimper with fear, and he did not take advantage of this chance.

Suddenly, a bullet hits the Tyrant in the back of the head, knocking his hat off. Sherry opens her eyes to see who fired the shot. Fortunately for her, someone has come to her rescue. It was...

Jake Muller?

"Jake?" She muttered with shock.

"I guess I made it just in time, Super Girl," Jake joked.

Super Girl. That's the nickname Jake chose for Sherry, due to her healing abilities. Despite being cured of the G-Virus 18 years ago, it adapted in its dormant state and gave her a regenerative healing factor.

The Tyrant turns around and sees Jake, who raises his gun at him. The Tyrant, for some reason, touches its head and notices that its hat is no longer on it. Its other hand curled into a fist, signifying anger. It stomps towards Jake at a faster rate than it did while chasing Claire. _Maybe it's the hat_, Jake thought humorously.

"Jake, look out!" Sherry shouted.

Jake backs away as he fires over and over again at the Tyrant, but his bullets do not even scratch its trench coat. After he ran out of bullets, he tossed the gun away and opted for a punch to the face, like he did with Ustanak. Unfortunately, punching the Tyrant in the face is like punching steel. The Tyrant shrugs off the punch while Jake shakes his aching hand.

"Ow," he uttered. Looking up at the hulking Tyrant, he jokingly says, "Uh, sorry about the hat."

The Tyrant responds by grabbing Jake by the throat and lifting him off his feet. It slowly increases the pressure of its hold around the young Wesker's neck. Jake can only flail and ineffectually pounding the Tyrant's in a pathetic attempt to escape its deathly grip.

"So much... for sorry," Jake joked, in spite of being choked.

The Tyrant is not affected in any way by the apology and continues to choke Jake, attempting to break his neck.

"No, stop!" Sherry shouted.

The Tyrant turns around and looks at Sherry, whose shouting caught its attention.

"You want me, right?" Sherry asked bravely. "Then you can have me. Just don't hurt him. Please, let him go."

"Are you... ack... serious?" Jake questioned, wondering why Sherry is even trying to beg the Tyrant to stop. "Words... agh... you think words will do it?!"

Apparently, words did work. Tyrant throws Jake down and approaches Sherry once again. Sherry backs away a little before stopping. She closes her eyes and braces herself again for pain. Tyrant raises his fist and prepares to hit Sherry with it.

"No!" Jake cried, in spite of his hurting throat.

However, the Tyrant froze. It looked like it was frozen in place. It didn't move a muscle. Sherry opened her eyes, curious as to why the Tyrant hasn't killed her yet. She looked up and saw that it was frozen. Well, not for long. Instead of finally punching Sherry, the Tyrant collapsed on one knee. It remained in this pose for an awfully long time, much to the confusion of Sherry and Jake.

"What the hell?" Jake wondered, feeling very confused.

"Um... hello?" Sherry said nervously.

The Tyrant didn't do anything. It stayed down on one knee with its face looking down. Jake slowly walks closer towards Sherry, trying not to alarm the big guy. He was tempted to poke it, but he decided against it.

"SHERRY!"

Leon, Claire, and a few other DSO agents showed up and pointed their weapons at the black-clad Tyrant, only to find it on its knees. Leon and Claire were both armed with M79 Grenade Launchers, knowing that mere bullets won't work on the Tyrant (yet they didn't bother to tell that to the other agents, who were armed with simple handguns).

The Tyrant quickly gets back up upon the sound of the agents barging in. Threatened by their weapons, it stomps towards them. Before Leon and Claire could fire, Sherry steps in between the agents and the Tyrant.

"Stop!" Sherry begged.

Surprisingly, this stopped the Tyrant from continuing forward.

"Hold your fire," Leon ordered.

The DSO Agents lowered their guns, along with Leon and Claire. Sherry, meanwhile, looks up at the Tyrant, who was looking down at her and not doing anything. Sherry felt stupid for putting herself in front of it, but she just had a feeling.

"It's okay. No need to fight. They're my friends," Sherry said calmly.

And the Tyrant didn't respond in any way.

"Sherry, what are you doing?" asked Leon.

"What does it look like? She's talking to the thing," Jake said, confused and annoyed.

"Nice to see you again," Leon greeted.

"Yeah, good to be back," Jake said sarcastically. "But now I'm wondering if I was even needed."

"You must be Jake Muller, right? Albert Wesker's illegitimate son?" asked Claire.

"And you must be Claire Redfield," Jake guessed. "Heh, you and Kennedy definitely look like Sherry's parents."

"Uh..." Leon and Claire felt awkward due to that comment.

"Kidding," Jake said.

"What are you doing back here?" asked Leon.

"I was following a bioterror group back here to D.C. I didn't expect them to send this big ugly guy after Sherry," said Jake.

The Tyrant turns its head and faces Jake in a threatening manner, startling him and everyone. Leon and Claire raised their weapons again, just in case. Good thing Sherry was there to calm the thing down.

"Geez, did I hurt its feelings or something?" Jake wondered.

"A Tyrant who can feel offended? Never heard of that before," Claire commented.

"Sherry, we need to turn that thing over to the BSAA," said Leon.

"I know, but you need to let me stay with him. I think... I think he listens to me," Sherry said.

"Okay, hold up. First, it tries to kill you. Then it just listens to you just like that?" Jake questioned. "Probably some kind of trick or something."

"Only one way to find out," said Sherry.

**I won't lie. What you just read about Mr. X, you just read it. I already have the answer, but what do you think is the reason Mr. X hesitated to kill Sherry?**

**For the next chapter, I'll bring Chris and Jill into the story. About time, though.**

**Note:**

**\- The RE2 Tyrant, or T-00, is never called "Mr. X" in the games, so I refer to him simply as "Tyrant" in the story. I just referred him to as "Mr. X" at the end of the first chapter just to make it clear which Tyrant paid Sherry a visit.**


	3. No School like the Old School

**As promised, it's time to bring Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine into the story in this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following user for reviewing the previous chapter: Vince Basile Jr**

**_To manu_: I think we should just stop talking. This is not very encouraging. Also, WHAT?! A Jake x Claire story?! Where the heck did THAT come from?! As for your reviews, I just don't speak Spanish, that's all (which is another reason this conversation between us is draining for me). Once again, I'm sorry. You know, don't have to send a review. Granted, I do ask for reviews, but it's always the reader's choice.**

**_To Vince Basile Jr_: Wow, that's an unexpected guess. Far from the truth, but thank you for sharing. Don't worry, I'll reveal the truth about Mr. X one day... fingers crossed it's a satisfactory answer. And I promise to keep building on the LeonxClaire relationship. Trying my best.**

In a small village at some sandy terrain somewhere in Mexico, a BSAA team led by Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are trying to protect surviving innocents from a horde of zombies. No one in the village knows how these zombies came to be, but Chris and Jill are more focused on saving everyone than solving the mystery. That can wait until after the threat is over. Jill commands the group firing from house balconies, while Chris commands the defense group on the ground.

"Don't stop until they're all down!" Chris said.

Unfortunately, zombies comes out of alleyways and lunge at four of Chris' men, killing them instantly by biting their necks.

"Dammit!" Chris cursed. "Keep your distance."

Chris and the ground troops keep their distance from the zombies as they mow them down with their rifles. One zombie pushes a door open and attacks the person closest to the door, who happens to be Chris. Chris tries to push the zombie off him and make sure its teeth stays away from his skin. He punches it in the face to push it away before uppercutting it down on its back. He quickly shoots it in the head.

"Like punching boulders, huh, Chris?" Jill teased through the comm-link.

"Very funny," Chris said with stoic sarcasm. "Sheva and I are gonna have a word someday."

Jill, meanwhile, is ambushed by two zombies who made it to the second floor, where she is. She manages to dodge the first's lunge and roundhouse-kicks it off the balcony. She then shoots the first zombie in the head before it could get up. As for the second zombie, it gets its hands on her and tries to bite her, but her resistance ends up with both of them falling off the balcony. Jill lands on her shoulder, which now hurts.

"Jill, are you okay?" Chris asked.

"Not yet," said Jill.

Jill and the zombie both get up, but Jill kicks the zombie in the face. She quickly stomps it hard on the face, smashing said face to nothing but bloody paste.

"You could have just shot it," said Chris.

"That thing owes me for my shoulder," said Jill.

"Good to have you back," Chris smiled.

"On your right," said Jill.

Chris turns to his right and shoots an incoming zombie in the head. Jill takes out two pistols and fires at every zombie she sees. One zombie was about to attack her from behind, but a sniper kills it before it or she can react. Jill sees the zombie corpse behind her and then looks up at the sniper who just saved her.

The sniper salutes at Jill, and she respectfully nods in response.

"I think it's time we end this now," said Jill.

Jill takes out one grenade, pulls the pin, and tosses it at the remaining horde. She tosses her other two grenades at the right spots to ensure every zombie's destruction.

"Get clear!" Chris ordered.

Everyone jumps out of the way as Jill's grenades detonate, blowing up all the remaining zombies. One zombie that was too far from the blast radius was only blown away, but one BSAA soldier killed it with half a dozen rifle rounds to the head.

"I think you're enjoying this a little too much," Chris said to his partner.

"I'm just doing my job, Chris," Jill said, sounding as stiff as she can be.

Sometimes, Jill was almost unrecognizable. And it's not just the blonde hair. It's been seven years since she was freed from Albert Wesker's control and she came back more or less the same person she has always been. Just as no-nonsense and mission-focused as always, but slightly more lively than usual. Maybe her time in rehab taught her to lighten up a bit. Chris wishes she would leave that out of field missions, as that grenade stunt was a little over-the-top. It saved everyone in the village, but it was still too much.

Chris' attention turns to the four dead corpses that are his men. It never gets easier, seeing his fellow soldiers die at the hands of B.O.W.s. After Edonia and Lanshiang, it just keeps getting harder and harder for him to be in this same situation. Worse, they'll have to burn the bodies before they turn into zombies.

"Don't blame yourself, Chris," said Jill.

"I keep promising we all get out of this alive, but I can't save everyone," Chris replied, trying to be strong.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after Edonia," Jill apologized.

"No, don't be. I understand. Your rehabilitation was important. The last thing you needed was dealing with me," said Chris. "Besides, Piers helped me back on my feet."

"And now I'm here to make sure you stay on your feet," said Jill.

Chris can't help but smile. It feels great to have Jill back on the field, and to work alongside her like old times. They're at their best when working together, and that's why they're always on missions as co-leaders of any squad assigned under their command. But fighting bioterrorism alongside each other is enough for both, judging by the smile not only on Chris' face but also on Jill's.

"Captain," BSAA agent Philips called.

Chris and Jill stop smiling at each other and listen to the agent holding a mug filled with foul-smelling liquid.

"We found out how the outbreak was caused," said Philips.

"What did you find?" asked Chris.

"The drinks in the tavern. They've been poisoned with a virus," said Philips. "The tavern owner said that he recognized all the zombies as regulars."

"Clever," Jill commented. "Are you sure he didn't infect them himself?"

"We're still questioning him, but it doesn't seem like he knows anything. Somebody must've tampered with his drinks without him knowing," said Philips.

"Load the sample. We need to take it back with us for analysis, just in case," Chris ordered.

_"Chris?" Clive O'Brian called, via comm-link. "Redfield, do you hear me?"_

"What is it, sir?" asked Chris.

_"Have you accomplished your mission?" asked O'Brian._

"All the zombies here have been eliminated. The uninfected are safe," Chris reported.

_"Good, because you need to get to the BSAA's supermax facility," said O'Brian._

"Why?" asked Chris.

_"It's about your sister Claire," O'Brian answered._

"Claire? What happened? Is she okay?" Chris asked, worried.

* * *

Several hours later, Chris and Jill return to the US and arrive at the BSAA's supermax facility. Chris walks inside really fast, not wasting any time to see if his sister Claire is okay. O'Brian made the call sound urgent, and that only made Chris worry a lot. Jill had to speed-walk and jog to keep up with the older Redfield. O'Brian pointed them to the control room of facility's prison area, where not only Clare is but also Leon and Jake.

Chris and Claire quick hugged each other once they saw one another.

"Thank God you're okay," said Chris.

"I could say the same thing," said Claire. "How was Mexico?"

"A small town full of zombies. The usual," said Chris. "O'Brian told me everything that happened. Are you sure you're 100%?"

"No bites or bruises, thankfully," said Claire. Looking at her brother's partner, she says, "Hey, Jill."

Jill gives the younger Redfield a hug and says, "Nice to see you again, Claire."

"You taking good care of my brother?" asked Claire.

"As always," Jill answered, teasing the older Redfield.

Chris and Jake face each other. Chris can only try to look respectful, while Jake tries not to look too angry. Whatever unresolved conflict they had years ago, it's clearly still there... mostly on Jake's part.

"Redfield," Jake greeted.

"Mueller," Chris greeted back.

Jill approaches the other blonde in the room. The man who rescued Ashley Graham from a Spanish cult, worked with Chris back at Lanshiang, and survived Raccoon City along with Claire.

"You must be the famous Leon Kennedy," Jill said, bringing forth her open hand.

Leon shakes her hand and says, "And you must be the lovely Jill Valentine."

"We just met and already you're on the first step of the courtship process," Jill replied, flattered and astounded.

"It's just a compliment. Don't take it personally," Leon said in a subtly suave tone.

_Is Leon flirting with Jill_, the Redfield siblings wondered.

"So," Chris interrupted. "What's the problem here?"

Leon shows them the camera footage of the inside of one of the facility's prison cells. Inside this particular cell is the very Tyrant that was sent to kill Sherry Birkin. It just sat there, doing absolutely nothing.

"That's the Tyrant that O'Brian mentioned. Why did you lock it up instead of destroying it?" asked Chris.

"Because this Tyrant is different," Leon answered.

"How?" asked Jill.

"We don't know, but we're about to find out," said Claire. She activates her comm-link and says, "Sherry, you're good to go."

"Sherry? Sherry Birkin?" Chris asked, surprised.

Leon, Jill, Claire, Chris, and Jake watch as the doors to the cell open and entering the cell is someone in a protective full-body suit made of titanium. The suit's head had a clear window, allowing everyone to see the face of who's wearing the suit. It was Sherry.

"You're sending her in there without backup?" Jill questioned.

"Hey, nobody here agreed to this, but she insisted on going alone," said Jake. "She thinks Mold-Face over there actually listens to her."

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Sherry is holding a black fedora, which belonged to the Tyrant. She takes a moment to look at the hatless Tyrant. It was unresponsive the whole time it's been here, until she walked in. It looked at her with that clay-like face of his. After taking a breath of courage, Sherry slowly approaches the Tyrant with its hat still in her hands. As for the suit, well, that's just in case the Tyrant attacks her. It won't protect her completely from its immense strength, but it'll provide enough protection so she doesn't break a rib or something.

"Hey, big guy" she started gently. "Remember me?"

The Tyrant didn't move or do anything.

"Can you talk? Or roar? Tyrants roar, right?" asked Sherry.

The Tyrant didn't even open its _mouth_... assuming it can even open or the mouth is just there for cosmetics.

"Well, uh, here's your hat," Sherry said, holding the black fedora closer to the Tyrant. "I'm sorry my friend shot it off your head. He's really sorry, by the way."

In the control room, Jake rolled his eyes in response to this. The "sorry" was really more of a joke and assumption that the hat meant something to the Tyrant. Then again, it's becoming more obvious that it really is about the hat.

"Well, don't be shy. You can have it back," said Sherry.

The Tyrant grabs the hat and simply puts it back on, covering that bald head of his. It didn't hurt Sherry or anything. It just kindly accepted the hat back, much to the surprise of those watching through the security camera.

"I'm Sherry," Sherry introduced herself.

Sherry puts her hand forward, asking for a handshake. The Tyrant looked at her metal-covered hand and did nothing. It just went back to staring into space.

"How about a fist bump? You love using your fists, right?" Sherry asked, curling her fingers into order to form a fist.

Sherry slowly reaches for the Tyrant's left hand. It didn't seem to mind when she touched it, as she raised its fist in front of her own. She lightly taps her fist against the Tyrant's. The Tyrant just stared at the blonde agent with no emotion whatsoever on its place. But hey, was the ability to change its facial expression ever in the minds of the new Umbrella when they created it?

"I just want to know why you didn't kill me like you were supposed to," Sherry said seriously. "Are you just a mindless killing machine like any other Tyrant? Or are you something more than that?"

The Tyrant actually responds this time. It stands up, turns right, stops just in front of the wall and...

Punches the wall hard, denting it.

This makes Sherry jump and startles the ones watching the security footage. The Tyrant then drops down on one knee, just like it did back at the hotel. Leon and Claire remember something like this back in Raccoon City, where they shoot the Tyrant in the face repeatedly until it drops down on knee, stunned for a short time. But the Tyrant of the now didn't collapse due to getting hit in the face with a bullet from a Magnum. Instead, it punches a wall like it was furious or something and then just drops for no reason.

"I'll... I'll leave you alone," said Sherry.

The Tyrant stays on one knee while Sherry walks out of its cell.

* * *

Sherry takes off the metal suit and reunites with the rest in the control room. Well, ain't this one heck of a family reunion. The Redfield siblings - the brave, muscular Chris Redfield and the sharp, kindhearted Claire Redfield. The unrelenting and hardened special agent Leon Kennedy. The flexible and down-to-earth master of unlocking Jill Valentine. The compassionate and extraordinary Sherry Birkin. And one can probably add the sarcastic but capable mercenary Jake Muller to that family. He did help save the world once, after all, alongside almost everyone in this room.

"This is a waste of time," said Jake. "That thing is a monster, different or not. It's a B.O.W. for Pete's sake."

"I know what it is, Jake, but that doesn't change the fact that it hesitated to kill me when it had the chance," said Sherry. "I just want to find out why."

"And what would you do when you find out why? Train it like it's your pet?" Jake criticized.

"I don't know yet, Jake!" Sherry replied loudly.

"Stop," Chris interrupted. "Bickering is not gonna help us understand what the deal is with that Tyrant. But for now, we have bigger problems. So, Leon, you're saying that there's an organization using Umbrella's name?"

"Yeah," Leon confirmed. "They literally dropped a pack of zombies on me and Claire while we were..."

"Having lunch," Claire finished. "Five people were killed. Leon and I stopped the body count from getting bigger."

"The container where the zombies were put in had an Umbrella logo on it," said Leon.

"Chris, you don't suppose this new Umbrella is also responsible for the bioterror attack in Mexico?" Jill wondered.

"What I don't get is that, why settle with monsters from the past?" Chris wondered. "Claire, you said a Tyrant like the one in the cell attacked you and Leon back in Raccoon City."

"Chased us around the police station and Umbrella's underground lab, yeah," said Claire.

"Umbrella has always tried to improve upon their creations, and those trying to emulate them seek to do better," said Chris.

"The Las Plagas had mind-control capabilities that simply made innocent civilians more savage but not mindless," said Leon, remembering the infected villages in Spain.

"The T-Abyss virus mutated the infected into aquatic monsters or semi-aquatic abominations," said Jill, remembering the three infected-filled cruise ships.

"The T-Phobos used fear to trigger the mutation," said Claire, remembering Sushestvovanine.

"Ada Wong's clone created a Tyrant that was more relentless and more intelligent than the one in Raccoon City," said Sherry, remembering Ustanak.

"I still stand by my previous statement about the hat-wearing one," Leon joked.

"You should've met the other Tyrant I fought in Raccoon City," said Jill, remembering Nemesis.

"Uroboros made zombies that are faster and smarter than regular ones," Chris added, remembering the zombies he encountered in an African village.

"The C-Virus created zombies that are speedy and nastier-looking, while also transforming people into mutants with endless specialties in any parts of their body," Leon added. "Or in Simmons' case, turns people into literally bloody bloodhounds, inside-out dinosaurs, and giant insects."

"But this new Umbrella is relying on old tricks," said Claire. "Instead of improving on others' past failures, they settle for plain old zombies and a Tyrant that a rookie cop can take down."

"Well, a rookie cop with a rocket launcher," Leon clarified.

"But that only begs the question, why use failed experiments to accomplish their agendas?" Jill wondered. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Well, we're not just gonna sit around and wait for the next attack," said Chris. "The villagers from Mexico must have seen something, something out of the ordinary. That's our best bet... aside from our _guest_ here."

Chris referred to the Tyrant in the cell, who is still down on one knee.

**I'm not joking around here. The "Mr. X" you're reading about is definitely something more than just a mindless killing machine. And it seems Sherry is trying to reach out to it. I don't know about you, but I'm having fun with the Mr. X part of this story.**

**The next chapter will just be more interactions between the six protagonists, as I would really love to explore their dynamics, especially Leon and Claire's relationship.**

**So, what do you think of this chapter? Is there any moment here you liked a lot? Don't be afraid to let me know what you think.**


	4. No More Jokes

**I hope you don't mind, but I wanna spend this chapter just focusing on the interactions between the main characters. Even if it's done before, I wanna try my own hand at this, such as Leon and Jill first meeting. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for the most recent reviews: Xaori, Belleredfield**

Claire had just gotten out of the shower after barely a good night sleep. She, her brother, and their friends have to stay in the city nearest to the BSAA's supermax facility, just in case. At least the hotel that Claire booked in had great shampoo. As she dried her hair, someone knocked on the door. Looking through the peephole, she sees that Leon is on the other side of the door. Not wanting to keep him waiting long, she quickly puts on a black t-shirt and her jeans before answering the door. When she opened the door, she noticed that he looked a little different.

He cut his hair... kind of. The bangs covering the right side of his face was 50% shorter. He also shaved the very little facial hair he was sporting yesterday. Claire can only wonder if he freshened up just for her.

But then she caught him staring at her oddly.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something in my face? In my hair?" asked Claire.

"No," said Leon. "I just never seen you with your hair down before. That look suits you."

Right. Claire was in such a rush to get dressed that she didn't even bother to tie up her hair in her trademarked ponytail. Still, she smiled at his compliment. _Maybe I'll wear it down more_, she thought playfully.

"You should've seen me a few years ago. I cut my hair short," said Clarie. "But when it started growing, I decided to just let it. So... return of the ponytail."

"Regrets?" Leon questioned.

"Well, I see you again after all these years all grown-up, facial hair and all. I kinda wish I looked grown-up for our lunch date," said Claire.

"So, it _was_ a date?" Leon teased.

"Did I say that?" Claire asked innocently.

Claire grabs her towel and continues to dry her hair while Leon sits down on one of her apartment's comfy chairs. Claire keeps wiping her hair as she goes through the fridge to see if there's anything she can treat Leon with while he's here. She can't help but notice through her peripheral view that he's just gazing at her.

"Still staring, Mr. Special Agent?" Claire teased.

"Just trying to picture you with short hair," Leon joked. "I'm not really seeing it."

"Well, maybe I'll cut my hair, like you clearly just did, and show you the clear picture," Claire suggested.

"Hey, lady's choice," Leon replied smoothly.

Claire pours Leon a glass of orange juice. He says it's not necessary, but Claire insisted. So, Leon does the gentleman thing and drinks the orange juice.

"I was just about to fry some eggs. You want some?" Claire offered.

"No thanks. I'm good," said Leon.

"I'm going to assume you didn't even eat before coming here," Claire guessed. "In that case, breakfast is no longer an option for you."

"You know, I could fry those eggs for you," Leon offered.

"That's sweet, Leon, but I don't mind getting my hands dirty in the kitchen," said Claire.

"I bet Chris goes crazy for your cooking," said Leon.

"He hates my Thanksgiving turkeys and my Christmas pies. He tries to hide it, but I know it," said Claire.

"Ever hear of cooking classes?" Leon mocked playfully.

"One more jab like that, and no eggs for you," Claire threatened jokingly.

"I never wanted any," Leon lied.

Claire chuckled before she said, "Aren't you such a joker?"

"Said no one ever," said Leon.

Claire just laughs a little as she gets the eggs ready. Leon's company is always a pleasant one. She just never remembered him being so lighthearted. Ever since he escaped Raccoon City and worked for the government, he's become so serious in both the face and the voice. Maybe the fact that he's just visiting her helped lighten up the mood for him. Well, whatever it was, it was great to see the lighter side of him. It's as if that haircut and shave made him time-travel back to when he wasn't so serious.

It made Leon feel a lot better that he could mellow a bit around a friend. Almost two decades of fighting bioterrorism has made him act like some grizzled war vet (which he kinda is, except for the "grizzled" part). Even when he has time to flirt or tell a joke, he's almost always on "special agent" mode. Being around Claire and not in some anti-bioterrorist facility or zombie-infested city, it felt... normal. The circumstances surrounding the formation of their friendship wasn't normal, but they needed a little bit of normal these days.

"Why are you really here, Leon?" asked Claire.

"Is it not enough I just wanted to see you?" Leon replied.

"And I appreciate an old friend coming to my doorstep, but really, why are you here?" Claire asked. "Is it about... lunch?"

"And what if it is? Do I sound desperate?" Leon responded.

"Well, are you?" asked Claire.

Leon paused and thought hard about that question. Why is he making such a big fuss about that little lunch "date" they had? It wasn't even a date. They were just getting a date vibe from it, but it still doesn't count as a date. Three years ago, Helena gave him Ada's compact for when he sees her again. But it's been three years since and he doesn't even know what he's doing just waiting for her. Throwing himself at Claire, he feels like an idiot. But why Claire? He can understand flirting with her, but something inside him tells him that this is more than just about flirting.

"I just wanted to ask you something. No jokes," said Leon. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Claire, do you even really want that first date?"

No jokes, he said. And that's why Claire froze and stayed silent. He just asked a very important question. Since Raccoon City, they've been joking about that first date. But does she really want it? It's been eighteen years since they met, they've only seen each other barely a handful times since, but does she still want that first date? That's assuming she was ever into him like _that_ and still is after all these years.

"Wh-What about you?" Claire dodged. "Do you... do you really want it?"

Leon was surprised by that response. "Claire, I wouldn't be..."

Both Claire and Leon's BSAA-issued phones beeped. Chris and Jill gave these to them so they can stay in contact at all times. Chris contacted Claire. Jill contacted Leon.

_"Claire, we got something. Meet us at the facility," Chris said to his sister._

_"Leon, you hear me? If you do, get to the facility. I think we finally got some useful info," Leon said to the DSO agent._

"On my way," Leon said to other blonde.

_"Wait, is that Leon?" Chris asked, as he heard Leon's voice in the background._

"Uh..." Claire hesitated nervously.

_"Is Leon in your apartment?" Chris asked suspiciously._

_"Wait, what?" Jill asked, as Chris was in the same room with her. "Leon, are you at Claire's?"_

Leon just hanged up on Jill. Claire did the same to Chris. The two just looked at each other awkwardly. It's obvious what's going on in Chris' mind right now, what with Leon being at Claire's place at 7 in the morning.

Worse, the eggs are overdone.

"Dammit," Claire cursed. "I guess we're eating out."

* * *

Leon and Claire return to the BSAA's supermax facility to see what Chris and Jill have found. They were still apprehensive about Chris, as there was no way they can lie to him about Leon being in Claire's apartment when he called. Still, they have to focus on the mission at hand. If Chris and Jill do indeed have useful info, they can use that to bring themselves on step closer to end this new bioterrorist threat.

They showed up in the briefing room where they found Chris on the phone with Blue Umbrella.

"Well, we need all the help we can get, Veronica," Chris said over the phone. "Assuming we can trust you."

_"Chris, you seriously can't believe we're responsible for this, are you?" Veronica sighed._

"Sorry," Chris apologized. "Just be sure to update me regularly on Blue Umbrella's progress. We need as much info as we can get our hands on."

After the call, Chris turns his attention to his sister and the DSO agent. He definitely eyed them both suspiciously, but he decided to get straight to the point. The info he promised to share with them.

"The tavern owner saw someone who didn't belong in the village. We got a sketch artist to draw us a face," said Chris. "And this is what we got."

Chris shows Leon and Claire the picture of the sketch sent to them by the BSAA unit in Mexico. The face on the sketch looked awfully familiar.

"Ada?" Leon reacted.

"I didn't want to tell you this over the phone, Leon," said Chris.

"Based on everything I've been told about Ada Wong, there's no way her arrival at the village happening shortly before the outbreak is a coincidence," said Jill.

"I'm sorry, Leon, but she's a wanted suspect now," said Chris. "She's dangerous and we can't afford to be lenient."

"I... I know," Leon replied slowly.

"Don't worry. I know it wasn't her who killed my men, but that doesn't mean I have to be gentle when we see her," said Chris.

"But... why would she do this?" Leon wondered in disbelief. "Ada has only even done robberies and sabotages, not infecting entire villages."

"Whether or not she's guilty, she's involved somehow," said Chris. "I know you care about her, Leon, but she's our best lead to this new Umbrella."

Leon had to pause and recollect his feelings. He knows Ada is not cruel enough to let an entire village be infected, but if she's involved with the new Umbrella, why? Of all the ways he would have to see her again, this is not how he wanted it go down.

Claire can see the perturbed look on Leon's face. Clearly, there's more going on between him and this Ada woman that she hasn't know about, mostly because she and Leon don't see each other a lot. Whatever it is, being forced to confront Ada like a special agent confronts a bioterrorist has Leon clearly feeling conflicted.

"You know, you don't have to join us on this one," Jill suggested, concerned for her new friend. "We can find another assignment for you..."

"No, I have to be there. She'll listen to me... maybe," said Leon.

"Okay," Chris reluctantly agreed. "Claire, you need to head back to TerraSave."

"What?" Claire asked, taken aback by the order.

"Jill, Leon, and I can handle the front lines. We need someone overseeing the virus sample transfers," said Chris.

"No, you just want me out of the action," Claire accused.

"Dammit, Claire, let's not do this right now," said Chris.

"No, you don't have the right to tell me to stay on the sidelines," said Claire. "Only I get to do that. If I want to help you from back at TerraSave, then I'll do it on my own terms."

"Okay, this is petty," said Chris.

"Yes, it is, because you won't stop keeping me out of the front lines," said Claire.

"Claire, we're too old to be arguing like this," Chris pleaded.

"Just like we're getting too old for this?" Claire added suddenly. "You're not in Raccoon City anymore, Chris. Those boulder-sized biceps of yours can only take you so far..."

"Oh, my God," Chris complained and facepalmed, reminding himself again to scold Sheva if he sees her again.

"But you know what, I will go back to TerraSave. While I did want to help you find Ada, I think I'll feel more rewarded analyzing and disposing viruses," Claire said with sarcasm. "I love my job at TerraSave, Chris, but don't you ever think I'm not up to the task of holding a gun. You taught me all I knew, and that helped me survive Raccoon City."

Claire walks out the room, while Chris pinches his nose in annoyance. Leon and Jill exchange awkward looks, considering they just witnessed a Redfield sibling argument.

"Are they always like this?" Leon asked the brunette-turned-blonde.

"Trust me, it's worse when they were younger," said Jill.

* * *

Just before she could leave the facility, Claire finds a certain Sherry Birkin just arriving at the place. Sometimes, it's hard for Claire to believe that the blonde DSO agent who can kick butt and shoot with a gun like a pro is the same little girl she took care of back in Raccoon City. On the one hand, she feels so proud of Sherry for being so willing to protect the world for bioterrorism. On the other, this was not the life she wanted for her. _God, I feel like a mom_, Claire thought.

"Hey, Claire," Sherry greeted.

"Hey, Ms. Special Agent," Claire greeted.

"Still hard to believe, huh? Well, I can barely believe it either," said Sherry.

"This is not what Leon and I wanted for you, though," said Claire.

"I know," Sherry understood. "I wanted to be a doctor or a musician, but the government had different plans."

"Just makes me wish all the more that I never left you and Leon after Raccoon City," Claire said regretfully.

"You wanted to find your brother, and Leon was more than capable to take care of me. You don't have to beat yourself up over that," said Sherry. "Besides, what difference would it have made if you stayed with us? You'd probably just end up working for the President along with Leon."

"Is it bad that I wouldn't mind that?" Claire replied.

"Oh, you wouldn't, huh?" Sherry teased.

Claire rolls her eyes and says, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Leon and I both care about you. If I was in his position with the government, I would've done the same thing he did."

"So, I'm assuming you two had _lunch_ together just to catch up?" Sherry teased.

"You and Moira would be such great friends, you know," Claire commented randomly.

"Avoiding the topic about Leon, huh, Claire?" Sherry teased again.

"I was not aware Leon had more admirers."

That third party who just butted into the conversation was a DSO agent with long brown hair and the face of a runway model. Sherry recognized her from the junkyard where she and Jake ran into Leon.

"Helena?"

And now a fourth party has entered the conversation. It was Leon, who stared at the brunette with confusion. They knew each other, after all, having partnered up in the fight against Derek Simmons three years ago. Helena Harper.

"What are you doing here?" asked Leon.

"Hunnigan wanted someone to keep watch on you," said Helena.

"I'm sorry, I believe we never met," said Claire.

Leon takes care of introductions. "Helena, this is Claire Redfield. Claire, this is Helena Harper, my partner at the DSO."

"Partner? As in partner, or _partner_?" Claire teased.

"Well, he and I shared a drink or two," Helena replied casually.

"Still strictly partners, though," Leon said placidly.

"Well, then it's a pleasure to meet you, Helena," Claire said.

Helena shakes hands with the redhead and says, "Pleasure's all mine, Ms. Redfield. You fought alongside Leon in Raccoon City."

"Sherry, why don't you show Helena around the place?" Leon suggested.

"And leave you and Claire alone? I couldn't," Sherry teased dramatically. "C'mon, Agent Harper. I'm afraid we must leave them."

Sherry takes Helena on a tour around the facility. At least, to show her the rooms that she is allowed access to. That just leaves Leon and Claire all by themselves, who were both shaking their head at the only living Birkin family member.

"Is Sherry still trying to play matchmaker with the two of us?" Leon asked.

"Well, after eighteen years, you have to admit, she's persistent," said Claire. "So, you and Helena, huh?"

Leon chuckles awkwardly in response, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Ada. Angela. Jill. Helena. You do seem to have quite the reputation, Mr. Kennedy," Claire chaffed.

"Hey, look, I just came here to tell you that Chris wants to apologize," said Leon.

"And he sent you to tell me that?" Claire questioned.

"Actually, I volunteered, since you obviously wouldn't want to talk to him right now," said Leon. "He just cares for you, you know."

"What about you? Do you want me on the sidelines?" asked Claire.

"Yes and no," Leon answered. "No, because I'd love to fight by your side again. Yes, because we really do need TerraSave assistance on this one, and TerraSave is at their best with you in charge."

"Coming from you, choosing TerraSave over the action doesn't sound so bad now," Claire smiled.

"Still, you and your brother need to talk," said Leon.

"Fine," said Claire. "Just do me favor, Leon. Don't distract yourself."

Leon knew what that meant. Ada. Can he behave like good little agent when he sees her again? Or will he let her slip through his fingers again?

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Sherry had to leave Helena with Jill when she saw a certain someone inside the facility. It was Jake, just drinking a cup of coffee. Apparently, they let him back in, per Chris' permission (with the condition that he stays out of the weapons room). He was stationing himself outside the prison area, which is just where the Tyrant was being kept.

"Guard duty, Jake?" Sherry started.

"Just making sure you're not thinking about sneaking in without anyone's permission," said Jake.

"Jake, I know I'm risking a lot trying to appeal to the Tyrant, but what if I'm right? I can't pass this up, even if it is stupid," said Sherry. "I mean, it could've just killed you instead of listening me and then kill me afterwards. Instead, it spared your life and then spared mine."

"And you begged for my life knowing Tyrants don't give a damn about self-sacrifice," said Jake.

"I know. Stupid, right?" Sherry acknowledged. "But enough about the Tyrant. What about you? How have you been?"

"Just doing my job, getting paid, as usual," Jake answered casually, not caring about the question at all.

"Jake," Sherry scolded. "You said you followed a bioterror group to D.C. I'm suspecting mercenary work has lost its charm to you."

"Okay, you got me. I'm... trying to be a hero, I guess," said Jake. "Not the goody-goody type of hero, but you know what I mean."

"Knowing about your father changed your life perspective?" Sherry asked.

"You can say that," said Jake. "I'm just trying to do something more with my life, something not dishonorable. A source led me to this bioterror group, which I guess we now know is Umbrella, so I had to follow them. Good thing I did, or you wouldn't have had a life to beg for to talk the Tyrant out of killing you."

Sherry shakes her head, but smiles anyway. She was glad he showed, but not for the reasons he's glad he did.

"What of you, Super Girl?" asked Jake. "Any plans of changing your career?"

"I'd rather wait until retirement. Being a special agent, while it sucks I got forced into it, has been more or less a good thing for me," said Sherry. "Plus, Leon and I get to work closely, so there's a plus."

"I guess he never has to worry about Take-Your-Kid-To-Work Day since you're part of his work," Jake joked.

"I was 12. I had just lost my parents," Sherry defender herself. "Besides, they wasted their chance to adopt me 18 years ago."

"You do realize they'd have to be in love and married to even adopt you?" Jake thought.

"Oh, trust me. During our brief time together after Raccoon City, they kept making eyes at each other," said Sherry. "I'm surprised they didn't get _busy_ behind my back."

"What about you? Ever got _busy_ with anyone?" Jake asked curiously.

"Are you volunteering, Jake?" Sherry teased. Playfully, she adds, "Because if I accepted, that would be of poor taste. Besides, you need Leon and Claire's blessings first."

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Jill and Helena are taking their time getting to know each other, drinking coffee together at the break room. While Helena is keeping this conversation professional, she can't deny that there is a fangirl somewhere inside of her screaming about meeting some of the most famous names in the anti-bioterrorism business. First, Claire Redfield. Now, Jill Valentine.

"... and after a few years in rehab, they let me back out on the field," Jill finished.

"Must've been difficult," said Helena. "I can't even imagine."

"No, you can't, and be glad you're never going to experience that," said Jill. "Besides, blonde hair and all, all I ever wanted was to continue serving and protecting not just my country but the world. Also, Chris is a drunk mess without me. He needs me as much as I need him."

"From S.T.A.R.S. to the BSAA. Quite a journey for both of you," Helena commented.

"How about you and Leon? Sherry said you're his... partner... is that right?" asked Jill.

Helena just laughed that off (with a split-second chuckle and a little smile).

And then Leon walked in, saying...

"What can kind of world do we live in where the word _partner_ can't be said between a man and a woman without having people thinking the wrong thing?"

"You tell me," Helena agreed.

"I see you two are getting along," Leon commented.

"How about you and Leon, Jill?" Helena asked. "You two getting along?"

"Well, your partner certainly has the charisma to bewitch even those who hearts as hard as Chris Redfield. I look forward to seeing him carry a gun with my own eyes," said Jill.

"Bewitch, huh? I wouldn't usually use that term. I prefer the word _charm_, if you don't mind," said Leon.

"Well, you do have quite the charming personality, Mr. Kennedy," Jill commented.

Helena looks back and forth between Leon and Jill. Are they just being friendly or are they actually flirting? And then Helena thought about Leon's relationship with Ada, who she thought was the #1 woman in his life.

"How many potential girlfriends do you have in your life?" Helena asked her partner.

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Claire returned to the briefing room, which was now empty. The only person in there is her brother Chris. He just sat there, moping, until she showed up. She sits next to him and waits for him to apologize, which is what Leon said he wanted to do.

"Look, Claire, I'm sorry if I sounded peremptory. I didn't mean that," Chris started.

"You just want to keep me safe. I know, because I'd ask the same of you if the mission at hand is too much," said Claire.

"I never wanted you to be involved in my line of work," said Chris. "I wanted you to finish college and do something worthwhile with your life."

"TerraSave isn't enough?" Claire questioned.

"Nothing involving bioterrorism, I meant," Chris clarified. "When I heard about Neil and what he did to you, Moira, and your co-workers, I almost lost it. I wanted to get you out of TerraSave and into another job that spares you from the horrors and dangers of my job."

"Combating bioterrorism is my job, too, Chris, and I'm proud to be doing it," said Claire. "Sure, I considered getting out while the getting's good, but I realized that I can't run away from my responsibilities. I wasn't forced into this, Chris. I chose to be a part of what you and Leon do for the world."

Chris sighs in defeat and says, "I know."

"Still, don't be afraid to call me if you need an extra gun to save your butt," said Claire. "I value my job at TerraSave, but I don't want to waste what you taught me."

Chris nodded and smiled.

"So... what was Leon doing in your apartment exactly?" Chris asked suspiciously.

"Oh, my God. Here we go," Claire complained. "I know what you're thinking, Chris, and nothing that you're thinking about happened. He just happened to stop by for a visit when you called. Wrong place, wrong time, you know."

"So, does that mean the two of you having lunch in a fancy restaurant is also not what I think it is?" Chris asked, still suspicious.

"He and I just saw each other after so many years. What else were we going to do with our time together?" Claire replied, exasperated.

"Are you sure there isn't something about Raccoon City that I need to know about?" Chris persisted.

"YouareworsethanSherryandshedoesntactuallydisapprove... I'm out of here," said Claire. "Take care, Chris."

Claire gives Chris a quick cheek kiss before race-walking out of the briefing room. Chris didn't need an answer from her. Just reading her face and listening to her voice carefully was enough to feed his suspicions that maybe Leon is more than just "a fellow Raccoon City survivor" to Claire. Now there's another reason why Chris would prefer that Claire stays in TerraSave... away from Leon.

* * *

Claire returns to her apartment to prepare for her trip back to TerraSave's headquarters. To her shock, her door is already unlocked. Reaching for her gun, Claire slowly turns the knob and opens the door. Once she opened it, she raised her gun, staying alert for any type of danger. The lights were off, which can only spell ambush. After carefully closing the door, she turns on the lights. The second the lights turn on, Claire points her gun at the intruder sitting on one of the apartment's chairs.

Fortunately, it's only Jill Valentine.

"Are you gonna put that away?" Jill started, referring to the gun.

Claire lowers the gun and sighs with relief.

"Jesus Christ, Jill, I could've shot you," said Claire. "How did you even get in here? I have my room key with me."

Jill reaches into her jacket and pulls out a lock pick.

"Ah, right. Barry calls you the Master of Unlocking," said Claire.

"Next time, pick a hotel that uses key cards," said Jill.

"But you've learned how to pick those locks as well, haven't you?" Claire guessed.

"My specialty isn't limited to just lock picks, Claire," said Jill.

"What are you doing here?" asked Claire.

"I just wanted to talk," said Jill.

"If you wanted a girl talk, you could've asked me back in the facility instead breaking into my apartment," said Claire.

"Well, I didn't want to talk about this in front of Chris," said Jill.

"Talk about what?" asked Claire.

"Leon," Jill answered.

"What, you need relationship advice?" Claire joked.

"I heard Chris talk to you about him," Jill revealed. "Denial and dodging are dead giveaways to the truth, Claire."

"Oh, no," Claire complained.

"And I saw the way you looked at Leon when he saw that sketch of Ada," said Jill. "It's not wrong to admit you feel something for him."

"And so what if it's true? I don't know what his history with Ada is apart from back in Raccoon City. If the look on his face when he saw that sketch is anything to go by, it's that maybe she's the one he wants," Claire said with a reticent but distressed tone.

"But if he wanted you, would you take him?" asked Jill.

Claire throws her head back in exasperation and says, "I don't know, Jill. It's not like he and I get to see each other a lot, what with our demanding jobs and all."

"Claire, there's no need to feel ashamed about your own feelings, even your feelings for Leon," said Jill. "I know that look well. I can tell."

"You mean with you and Chris?" Claire questioned.

Jill was silenced by this sudden reply.

"Remember what I said about all of us being too old for this? You and Chris, you two don't have a lot of time left, you know," said Claire.

"Claire, we have a job to do. Chris and I don't have the time to discuss... this," said Jill.

"But I do?" Claire questioned.

"Let me ask you something, Claire," said Jill. "Why did Leon visit your earlier?"

Claire didn't want to answer that, but she reluctantly did. "He came to ask me if... if I really wanted that first date?"

"This sounds like something you two have discussed for a long time," said Jill.

"Not really. I just made a little joke that Raccoon City could've been a hell of a first date, which it wasn't," said Claire. "And he just made a little joke that he never took me out on that first date."

"But if he asked you what you said he asked you, then maybe it's time to consider that he's done with the jokes," said Jill.

* * *

Back at the facility, Leon was in the briefing room, staring at the picture of the sketch of Ada Wong. As if a secret organization using Umbrella's name wasn't bad enough, Ada has to be once again involved in the latest bioterrorist threat. She's always somehow finding her way back to him, which he doesn't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. One thing's for sure, he needs to get his head straight when he does see her.

Leon had to close the computer when he heard the briefing room's doors open. In comes Chris Redfield, looking at the blonde agent the same he did when he and Claire arrived earlier.

"Is something wrong, Chris?" asked Leon.

"I just want to hear it from your end," said Chris.

"Hear what from my end?" asked Leon.

"You. Clare. Yesterday. Lunch," Chris clarified in a stern tone.

"Oh, I get it. You think I'm trying to get somewhere with your sister," Leon replied with a sly smile on his face.

"Don't even think about it, Leon," Chris warned.

"Hey, all I did was invite her to lunch," Leon said seriously. "It's been to long and we missed each other's company. You can thank Umbrella's friends for _dropping in_ before she and I crossed unwanted barriers."

"And why were you at her apartment this morning?" asked Chris.

"I'm assuming she didn't tell you everything," Leon guessed.

"She didn't even tell me why. She just said I called at the wrong time," said Chris. "But I want to hear it from you. Answer the question, Leon."

"Let's face it. Truth or lie, you're gonna be suspicious about me for the rest of our mission," said Leon. "I don't blame you. You're just trying to protect Claire, but I don't have to explain myself if it's pointless. But I mean her no harm. You should know that by now."

"Well, I've never seen you two in the same room before. Consider me cautious," said Chris.

"I care about Claire as much as you do, Chris. I'd take a bullet for her if it means to keep her safe," Leon said ultra-seriously.

"Even if that bullet comes from Ada Wong?" Chris questioned.

"Don't you dare go there," Leon warned. "Besides, Claire is going back to TerraSave. You won't have to worry about me getting any funny ideas."

Leon decides to leave the room so he doesn't have to put up with Chris' overprotective brother mode. He thought it'd be funny messing with him, but it got way more serious than he thought, forcing him to take it seriously as well.

"Leon," Chris called. "Look at Jill the wrong way again, and that Tyrant will be the least of your problems."

"Whoa, sorry. I had no idea she was taken," Leon said flippantly.

"She's not, but the last thing she needs is to be distracted by your nonsensical overtures," said Chris.

"Whatever you say, Captain Redfield," said Leon. Just to poke fun at the BSAA captain, he says, "I'll just show her how I handle a gun instead."

Leon leaves before Chris could punch him for that wisecrack. An exasperated and provoked Chris now wonders, _What am I gonna do with him?_

**Well, what do you think of this chapter? Don't be afraid to tell me what you think and share your favorite moment(s).**

**By the way, I really like Helena, so I wanted to include her here.**


	5. No Need for Subtlety

**Well, I introduced most of our favorite characters, had fun with the interactions, and enjoyed experimenting with Mr. X. Now, it's time to really kick-start the crazy. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the most recent reviews: Xaoir, BlindEye1419, Vince Basile Jr, Belleredfield**

**_To Belleredfield_: Don't worry. I'm gonna address the issue of Leon's flirting. Also, after the end of the previous chapter, I think it should be clear that Leon will just flirt with Jill to mess with Chris.**

Chris and Jill are briefing twenty-five BSAA agents about the latest update of their mission to find and take down the new Umbrella. Leon would be present for this briefing, but he left the facility without explaining why. Even still, the briefing must go on.

"Our target is Ada Wong," Chris reported. "It was believed she was at the Mexican village we investigated when the civilians were infected and turned into zombies. We don't have a location on her yet, but the BSAA is working with the DSO, TerraSave, and other security agencies willing to cooperate to track her down. As soon as we have a lead, we move out. However far Ada Wong's involvement is with this mysterious new Umbrella, it is our top priority to bring her in alive."

"Teams of five will be sent to five different security agencies in order to assist with the tracking down Ada Wong," said Jill. "Now, those teams should already have their assignments given to them. Pack up immediately and prepare to move out. If your party gets a lead on the target, contact Captain Redfield and myself. Do not engage until we give the order. Tail her if you have to, but do not alert her that she is being watched."

"Stay armed. Stay sharp. Stay ready. Agreed?" Chris asked firmly.

"Yes, sir!" All BSAA agents responded.

"Okay, move out!" Chris ordered.

The twenty-five BSAA agents quickly exit the briefing room to prepare for their flights. Captain Redfield is counting on them to be ready for Ada Wong, and they were not gonna let him down. It is Chris Redfield, after all, one of the most - if not the most - legendary fighters against bioterrorism in the past two decades.

"Not the most impressive close to a motivational speech, but the delivery was typical Chris Redfield," said Jill.

"They'll be properly motivated no matter how long or short the speeches are," said Chris. "What matters is that they do their job, just like us."

"That always seems to be the case for us," said Jill.

"We're BSAA agents, Jill. Keeping this world safe from bioterrorism is what we do," said Chris. "Why the concern? Are you considering turning in your gun?"

"No, not yet," said Jill. "I got plenty of years left in me. It's just..."

Jill stared off into space with this flustered expression on her face. Chris was confused at first, but then it turned into concern. The way Jill said "not yet" when she answered the question about retiring, it was worrying him. Jill was in rehab for five years before she was allowed back on the field, and she rarely showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. But maybe it isn't PTSD that's bothering her right now. At least, that's what Chris hoped.

"What?" Chris asked concernedly.

"It's nothing," said Jill. "By the way, I should've mentioned this earlier, but I ran into Leon when he left. When he talked about you, it sounded like you two got into a recent disagreement or something."

"Nothing you should concern yourself about," said Chris.

"Unless it's got something to do with Leon and Claire having lunch together or Leon being at Claire's apartment when we called them," Jill guessed. "I have eyes, Chris, and an entire history with you."

"All I can say is you shouldn't entertain his advances towards you," said Chris. "I wouldn't want my sister spending too much time with someone who toys with women's hearts, even if he is the one who helped my sister survive Raccoon City."

"And what if Leon's reason for ditching the briefing is to go see Claire before she gets on that plane?" asked Jill.

"You figured that, knew how I felt about Leon's kittenish attitude, and you didn't bother to talk to him about it?" Chris questioned.

"It's between him and Claire, Chris. I have no right," said Jill.

"Brilliant," Chris said sarcastically.

To mess with the captain, Jill slyly says, "Although, if Claire is not interested, then maybe Leon and I can get to know each other more, maybe even more than you and I ever knew each other."

"Oh, God. Jill," Chris scolded.

Jill shoots an unapologetic smile at Chris before walking out of the briefing room. Suddenly, the power goes out for a few seconds, alarming the two partners and everyone in the facility.

"What the hell?" Jill wondered.

The power goes back on, but now the alarms are going off like crazy.

_"Captain, we have intruders in the facility!" Agent Philips reported via comm-link. "Targets are..."_

Gunfire is heard through the comm-link as Philips went silent.

"Philips? Philips?!" Chris shouted, hoping to get a response. "No, dammit!"

Jill taps her comm-link and says, "If you can hear this, get Sherry Birkin and Jake Muller to the Tyrant's cell immediately."

Chris and Jill grab hold of their H&K P9 handguns and quickly run out of the briefing room to take care of the intruders. The gunfire and screaming are making both of them feel more alarmed about this sudden attack.

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Sherry and Jake run all the way to the Tyrant's cell, as they were ordered to move it out of the facility, accompanied by three armed agents. One of the agents, named Agent Emmanuel Renee, heard that one of the intruders were looking for the Tyrant, so Sherry opens the Tyrant's cell and quickly walks in along with Jake, although Jake keeps his distance after his previous encounter with the 7'6'' B.O.W. Sherry, however, has no problem getting close the Tyrant, especially without a protection suit.

"Bad people are attacking the facility. We have to go," she said.

Mr. X didn't do anything. It just stared at Sherry.

"Oh, sure. It spares lives if you tell it to, but it won't follow a simple command such as following you like a loyal dog," Jake complained.

Mr. X just "glared" at Jake for the insult.

"Okay, new tactic," said Sherry.

Sherry grabs Mr. X's fedora off of his head and heads for the open door.

"You want your hat back? Follow me," said Sherry.

"This is so stupid," Jake muttered.

To Jake's surprise, Mr. X gets up from his seat and follows Sherry out the door. The sight of three BSAA agents with guns made him stop with caution. It looked like he was about to squeeze some heads.

"Easy, big guy. They're friendlies," Sherry assured. "They're not gonna shoot you. They're just gonna protect us from the bad guys attacking this place."

"I thought their orders are to neutralize Tyrant Boy here if he attacks us," Jake whispered sarcastically.

"Shh!" Sherry scolded, smacking Jay on the shoulder.

"Let's move," Agent Renee commanded. "We'll leave through the back door."

"Uh, I checked the entire prison area against Redfield's orders. There is no back door," said Jake.

"There is a back door, Mr. Muller. But we can only access it through an underground passage in a secret room," said Agent Renee.

"A secret underground passage? Seriously?" Jake complained.

"Move!" Sherry ordered.

Agent Renee leads this small band to the secret passage in order to get the Tyrant out through the back door. Sherry stays close to the Tyrant with its hat still in her hand, making sure it follows them without attacking anyone but the intruders that might intercept them.

* * *

At the nearest airport from the BSAA's facility, Claire is just sitting at the airport's lounge, waiting for her plane, which was an hour away. She's on her way back to TerraSave HQ in order to assist with the viruses that the BSAA need assistance with transferring. Claire knew that it didn't matter if she was waiting for her plane or sitting on the plane. She would still be thinking about the same thing. Leon. She never got to give him her answer about that first date. But then there's something about him that may increase her chances of saying no.

"Should I be fortunate that you're stuck here waiting for your plane?"

Speaking of Leon, there he is, walking into the lounge and sitting right next to her.

"Maybe the universe delayed my plane so you could be here," Claire joked.

"That's a hilarious and endearing thought," Leon joked back.

Claire stops joking and says, "You want my answer, don't you?"

"Actually, I came to apologize," said Leon. "I never should've put you on the spot with that one. I didn't even know what was going on in my head when I went there. It's like when I asked you out to lunch. My mouth was doing the thinking, not my brain."

"So, you don't want my answer then?" asked Claire.

"I don't know," Leon said as he hanged his head, feeling stupid.

"I don't know either, Leon," said Claire. "I mean, I find it interesting you have a way with women, but..."

"Nothing ever happened," Leon interrupted. "Helena and I, we're really just partners. Angela and I never got to go diving again. And for Jill, well, let's just say your brother's temper reaches near boiling point if I so much as talk to her."

"Oh, so you're just gonna mess with him, huh?" Claire replied. "But what about Ada?"

"I don't know, Claire," Leon answered grimly. "I didn't come here for your answer. I just came here to say, I'm sorry. Sorry for asking too much from you."

"But why _did_ you ask that much of me, Leon?" Claire asked curiously.

"I thought... I thought my reasons would be obvious," said Leon.

"No, Leon, they're not, not unless you tell me what those reasons are," Claire said with stiff repose.

"And even if I tell you, what does this mean for the two of us?" asked Leon. "I almost jeopardized our friendship with that reckless question."

"I decide whether or not it jeopardizes what we have between us," said Claire.

Unexpectedly, Claire holds Leon's hand. He looked down at her hand touching his before looking back at her beautiful face. He would think she would be a bit apprehensive in making extremely close contact with him after the stunt he pulled back at her apartment, but it would seem that she in insistent on trying to understand the reasons behind that stunt.

"Claire, you told Chris that we're getting too old for this," said Leon.

"Only because it's true," said Claire.

"And you asked me what's next for me," Leon recalled.

"And you said you don't know," Claire remembered.

"Are you offering to give me something to look forward to?" asked Leon.

"If you give me a reason to," said Claire.

"Claire, I just want to be sure I know what I'm doing," said Leon. "I'm still at a crossroads here. That first date, it's just the first stepping stone out of a hundred, maybe a thousand, and this trail isn't a singular path. It branches out to another trail, maybe more."

"You love beating around the bush, huh?" asked Claire. "We might be here all day."

"Hmm, all day, huh? I'm honestly tempted to make you miss your plane," Leon joked.

"But seriously, Leon, why?" Claire asked seriously. "Why so serious about that first date that you don't even owe me?"

Leon turns his hand over and closes his fingers around Claire's, saying, "Maybe I'm tired of not being serious. Maybe..."

Leon was interrupted when an explosion went off. The sudden explosion was followed by the sudden arrival of armed troopers wearing black and red body armor. Ten of them, if you're counting. They forced everyone on their knees and threatened to shoot them if they resist. One security guard tried to intervene, but he was shot dead with several rifle bullets to the face, scaring everyone.

Leon and Claire get their guns out and hide amongst the crowd, knowing that going in guns-blazing will only get themselves and the people killed.

"Leon, look at the symbol on that guy's shoulder," Claire whispered.

Without being spotted, Leon takes a good look at the symbol one on the nearest trooper's shoulder plate. That dastardly red and white...

"Umbrella," Leon saw.

"Well, they're not exactly being subtle," said Claire.

"I guess that's what separates them from the old Umbrella. They're not afraid to make noise," said Leon.

"Well, we better make some noise before someone else dies," said Claire.

* * *

Back at the BSAA, armed troopers wearing the same body armor and color scheme as the ones at the airport are revealed to be the attackers. Right now, Chris and Jill are in a shootout with four troopers. They used the corners to shield themselves from gunfire. Their guns are barely doing anything to the troopers. Whatever body armor they're wearing, it's effective against ordinary handguns.

That's why Helena showed up with an AS-13 shotgun. She uses a grenade to stun and blind the troopers. After that, she pumps one shotgun round into each trooper.

"How did they even get in here?" asked Chris.

"Identity theft," Helena answered.

"How many?" asked Jill.

"19," said Helena. Looking at the three dead troopers in front of her, she corrected herself. "As of right now, 16."

"I can see why Leon's impressed with you," Jill complimented.

"Your turn to impress. Half a dozen troopers heading for the prison area," Helena reported. "Muller and Agent Birkin are with the Tyrant, but we can't just let that squad catch up to them."

"What about you?" asked Chris.

Helena pumps her shotgun and says, "Got some clean-up to do."

"Leon's rubbing off on you," Chris commented.

"Speaking of Leon, have you tried contacting him?" asked Jill.

"I tried, but something's jamming his communicator," said Helena.

"We'll worry about that later. Jill, let's go," said Chris.

While Helena is one "clean-up duty," Chris and Jill run for the prison area to meet up with Sherry and Jake. One trooper quickly noticed them and alerted its comrades. Chris and Jill had to use separate cells for cover. Chris finds an assault rifle from a fallen BSAA agent. He peers out from the cell and starts shooting, killing one trooper and forcing the others to run for cover.

This gives Jill the opportunity to get some shots of her own. Knowing that her handgun's bullets won't work on the troopers' body armor, she aims for the head. Their helmets, as it turns out, are just as fragile as glass. Jill shoots two troopers dead as she runs towards the rest of them with Chris.

Jill jumps off a utility cart and kicks Trooper #4 in the helmet, cracking it. Chris pumps two bullets into Trooper #5 before engaging Trooper #6 up-close. He punches the trooper in the face three times. When that wasn't enough, Chris grabs the trooper's head and slams it on his knee, cracking the helmet's glass. One more Chris-powered punch to the helmet shatters the glass. When Trooper #6 won't go down, Jill knocks him down with a powerful butterfly kick to the face.

"Nice kick," Chris said.

"I guess age hasn't caught up to me yet," Jill said.

Trooper #5, who Chris shot with two bullets earlier, was trying to get back up. Jill grabs her gun and fires a bullet through his helmet, without even looking.

"We should keep moving," said Jill.

The two suddenly heard a metallic sound. By the time they turned their heads, a masked woman in a black-and-red, skin-tight leather suit zips herself towards them and kicks Chris several feet away from Jill.

"Chris!" Jill cried.

Not wasting time, Jill starts kicking and punching the masked woman. The masked woman dodges Jill's kicks before hitting the blonde with an aerial spin kick. Jill recovers quickly and grabs the masked woman's arm, flipping her to the ground. The masked woman tries to get up, only to get kicked in the back of the head by Jill. Jill grabs the masked woman to interrogate her up-close, only to get injected in the neck with a needle.

In the needle was some sort of orange serum. The injection weakened Jill. She drops down on her knees, then on her hands, until she lied down grunting and whining due to the burning pain inside her caused by the serum.

"Stings, doesn't it?" The masked woman spoke in a modulated voice. "Don't worry. The pain will pass. When you wake up, though, it'll feel like none of this ever happened."

"Jill!" Chris cried.

Chris shoots at the masked woman, but missed due to her agility. One bullet grazed her leg, but she escapes from the muscly agent using a flashbang grenade. That just leaves Chris with the weakened Jill. Chris cradles her in his arms gently, holding her blonde hair with such care. She looked liked she was about to go to sleep, which was extremely worrying.

"Jill, are you okay?" Chris asked, worried.

"Tired," Jill muttered. "Forget me. Go... after... her."

Jill couldn't say anything more when her eyes closed and she stopped moving. Chris quickly checked for a pulse. Fortunately, she's alive. Unfortunately, whatever this serum is that is in her system, it could have negative effects to her body.

"We gotta get you to the medical bay," Chris said urgently.

_"WARNING! THE SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE HAS BEEN INITIATED. T-MINUS TEN MINUTES UNTIL OBLITERATION OF THE FACILITY. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY."_

"You got to be kidding me," Chris complained.

Chris carries Jill bridal style as he looks for Helena. They need to get out of the facility first before they get Jill some medical attention.

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Meanwhile, in the secret underground passage that leads to the facility's back door, five troopers are trying to kill Sherry, Jake, and the three BSAA agents accompanying them in order to secure the Tyrant. Bullets fly left and right. Two BSAA agents die immediately, but Sherry and Jake manage to take out two of the troopers in return.

"Get that thing out of here!" Agent Renee ordered.

"What about you?" asked Sherry.

"Forget about me. Just go!" Agent Renee commanded. "There's a transport helicopter waiting outside, big enough for our big friend here."

"Can't we just give these guys their monster back?" Jake joked.

"Jake!" Sherry scolded.

"I'm kidding. Let's go," said Jake.

Sherry and Jake run away, followed by the Tyrant, who got its hat back. It eventually learned to listen to Sherry without her using its headgear for persuasion.

That just leaves Agent Renee alone against the remaining three troopers. He was about to throw a grenade at them, only to get shot in the knee, causing him to drop the grenade. The grenade explodes and kills Agent Renee. That means the remaining enemy troopers can pursue Sherry, Jake, and the Tyrant without BSAA interference.

Jake and Sherry were running as fast as they can, but the Tyrant was can only race-walk as it followed them. The Tyrant's fast walking was not helping, unfortunately.

"Are you kidding me? How did Kennedy and Redhead Redfield ever have trouble with its twin brother?" Jake complained.

"Trapped in a police station. A lot of zombies. A complicated puzzle just to open a secret passage. Having to study the layout of the place while being followed by its twin," Sherry enumerated.

"Okay, I get it," Jake interrupted.

Thanks to the Tyrant's inability to run, the troopers catch up and start shooting at it. That's when one of them shot its hat off its head. Jake and Sherry, who had to stop when they heard gunfire from behind, saw this and knew what's coming next. When the Tyrant touched its bald head, Sherry and Jake braced themselves for what's about to happen.

"You shouldn't have aimed for the hat," Jake said.

The Tyrant stomps towards the three troopers, who were all still shooting at it. The bullets ricochet off the Tyrant's trench coat. The Tyrant punches Trooper #3 in the helmet and smacks Troopers #4 and #5 aside. The Tyrant punches Trooper #3 in the face again, smashing his face, breaking its skull, and spilling blood everywhere. Sherry's spine shivered, as she remembered that this is the same fate that befell the bellboy at the hotel earlier.

The Tyrant grabs Troopers #4 and #5 by their heads and start squeezing. It didn't take long it squeezed their heads into nothing but bloody messes. Shake and Jerry had to turn away from the horrifying sight of the headless troopers.

"Ugh, why did we look when we saw that coming?" Jake wondered.

Sherry helps the Tyrant put its hat back on its head. Jake checked the path ahead. It's clear. Sherry, however, just looked up at the Tyrant with a finger on her chin, thinking.

"C'mon, let's get moving," said Jake. "We got about..."

_"SELF-DESTRUCT IN T-MINUS FIVE MINUTES," said the computer._

"Yeah, that," said Jake. "Sherry, what are you doing?"

"I think we should give him a name," said Sherry. "You know, to make him feel less like a monster."

"A name? What, like Poodles?" Jake said sarcastically..

"How about... X?" Sherry suggested.

"X? What, like Mr. X or something?" Jake questioned. "Why?"

"I don't know," Sherry replied honestly. "It just feels... right, somehow."

Sherry grabs Jake's hand and drags him with her as she continues running towards the end of the secret passage that leads to the facility's back door.

"C'mon, X!" Sherry called.

The Tyrant, or as it known now, Mr. X, responds to the command by following the blonde DSO agent. It made Sherry smile, as the Tyrant just quickly accepted its new designation. Now, if only he could walk faster... or learn how to run...

"Move it, X!" Jake shouted, annoyed.

"Don't talk to him like that," said Sherry.

Fortunately, they made it to the back door and boarded the helicopter with enough time to fly to a safe distance from the explosion. Unfortunately, the helicopter has been hijacked by more armed troopers, who have apparently been waiting just in case someone might be using the secret underground passage.

"Shit," Sherry and Jake cursed.

Mr. X arrived fifteen seconds later, only for one trooper to shoot him with a metal disk. The disk attaches itself to Mr. X's chest and sends an electric wave through the trench coat, shocking its heart. Mr. X drops down on one knee. The disk seems to be designed to make sure Mr. X stays down and doesn't recover. This made Sherry utter a quiet "no" out of worry for her new friend. She just named him, even.

"We should be thanking you, Agent Birkin," said the Troop Captain. "The plan was for it to kill you, but instead, you doomed the BSAA and cost them their most valuable headquarters."

"If you're gonna kill me, get it over with," Sherry said fearlessly.

"Plans have changed," said the Troop Captain. "You, your boyfriend, and that ugly beast will be coming with us."

"Oh, I'm not her boyfriend," said Jake.

"You wish you were," Sherry teased.

"Enough!" The Troop Captain interrupted. "Get this thing in the air, now!"

As the Umbrella troopers ride the helicopter away, Jake and Sherry, now cuffed with metal restraints, have to watch as the BSAA's supermax facility explodes. The BSAA's biggest and most important HQ, now destroyed, all because Sherry brought the Tyrant to them. They just hope that Chris, Jill, and the others made it out okay.

* * *

Back at the airport, Leon and Claire remain hidden as the mysterious troopers keep searching the crowds. They've guessed that they were looking for the two of them specifically. That guess might as well be accurate, since there's no reason why soldiers wearing Umbrella's symbol on their uniforms just happened to show up at the very airport they both happen to be in.

"I can't get in contact with Helena," said Leon. "Something's jamming my signal."

"I can't get ahold of Chris either," said Claire. "They're jamming our communications. Clever."

Suddenly, one of the troopers grabs an innocent woman and holds her at gunpoint.

"Alright, Redfield! We know you're here!" Trooper #1 said. "Come out now or this civilian pays for your silence!"

"Wait, stop!" Claire shouted.

Claire didn't even stop to think. She just came out of her hiding spot and put her hands in the air. Trooper #1 shoves the innocent woman back into the crowd and aims his rifle at Claire.

"I was expecting a fight, but this is so much better," said Trooper #1.

"Just leave everyone, please," Claire pleaded. "You want me, right? Here I am."

"We were for just you, but then we saw someone of interest come here," said Trooper #1. "Your friend, Leon Kennedy. Where is he?"

"I haven't seen him," Claire lied.

"Don't play with us, lady," Trooper #2 warned. "Tell your friend to show himself or we start shooting."

Leon knew he couldn't just hand himself over without a plan. Fortunately for him, one trooper armed with a flamethrower was walking far away from the crowd to look out the window. Leon took out his gun and aimed for the flamethrower's fuel tank. It's risky, but he hoped it would work. He pulls the trigger and the bullet penetrates the tank. The sound of his gun firing attracted everyone's attention, but what attracted everyone's attention more is the flamethrower trooper's fuel tank leaking.

Before the trooper could do anything, his fuel tank exploded. The explosion was, fortunately, not large enough to reach the nearest group of innocents. It just exploded both the trooper and the window he was standing next to. This attracted the attention of all the other troopers.

"What the hell?!" Trooper #1 wondered, confused.

Leon comes out of his hiding spot and quickly fires one bullet each at nine troopers. He was amazed with himself, but he had other matters to worry about. He quickly pointed the gun at the tenth and final trooper, only for him to grab Claire and aim his rifle at her. Leon slowly walks closer towards Claire with his gun still pointing at Trooper #1.

"Don't come any closer, hero," Trooper #1 warned.

"Are you here to kill her to take her with you?" asked Leon. "Because if it's the latter, I'm assuming killing her would be a problem."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Trooper #1 said confidently.

"Sir, look out!" One person in the crowd shouted.

Four troopers, whose bulletproof body armor protected them from Leon's bullets, get back up and start shooting at him. Everyone ducks for their lives as Leon hides behind a column to avoid getting shot.

"Should've went for the head, assuming their helmets aren't bulletproof," Leon said to himself.

Trooper #2 sneaks up to Leon's right, but he saw him immediately. Leon quickly diverts the rife's aim away from his face and elbows the trooper in the helmet. That elbow hit didn't really do much. Leon tries to wrestle the rifle away while the trooper pulls the trigger, resulting in two dozen errant bullets hitting nothing but concrete. Leon whacks Trooper #2 in the face with his own rifle, takes it for himself, and then shoots the trooper with every bullet left in the magazine just to make sure he's dead. Leon quickly reloads the rifle with bullets he took from the dead trooper just as the other trooper start firing.

"Everyone, move!" Leon shouted to the civilians.

Claire sees that Trooper #1 is looking the other way, distracted by Leon's actions. Claire steps on Trooper #1's foot, elbows him in the gut, and frees herself from his grip. She grabs her gun and shoots him in the chest.

Leon manages to kill Troopers #3 and #4 by aiming for their heads instead of their mid-sections. Trooper #5 shoots Leon's rifle off his hands, but his rifle gets shot off his hands by Claire. Unfortunately for Claire, Trooper #6 grabs her, causing her to drop her ACP.

"This is going nowhere," Claire complained.

Leon and Trooper #5 engage in hand-to-hand combat. Trooper #5 makes things unfair by taking out his knife. Leon dodges the trooper's multiple swings, until he manages to grab his arm, just as the knife was dangerously close to his face. He twists the trooper's arm, causing the trooper to stab himself in the gut. Leon knees the knife deeper into his gut, hurting him, before knocking him down with a roundhouse kick to the helmet.

Claire kicks Trooper #6 in the knee and then breaks free from his hold. She kicks him down with a high kick to the face. She grabs her gun and aims it at the other troopers, who were downed by Leon's bullets but not confirmed dead.

"That was a stupid plan," Claire said to the blonde.

"I know," Leon said to the redhead. He looks at the crowd and says, "Hey, can some of you help us out?"

Unfortunately, Leon and Claire get hit with tranquilizer darts. The masked woman who caused the BSAA's supermax facility to self-destruct arrived with more Umbrella troopers, scaring the people in the airport. The masked woman walks towards the unconscious bodies of the blonde DSO agent and the head of TerraSave. She bends down to take a closer look at the man who is famous for being the rookie cop who survived Raccoon City.

"All we wanted was Claire Redfield, but it seems we netted her and a bigger prize in you, Mr. Kennedy," said the masked woman.

**Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X captured. Leon and Claire captured. Chris, Jill, and Helena's statuses unknown at the moment. Like I said in the beginning, this is where I really kick-start the crazy. If this story were a video game, this might as well be a three-campaign story (one is of Leon and Claire, the other is for Chris and Jill, and the last one for Sherry and Jake).**

**Separating them from each other may deprive this story of fun interactions, but I needed Leon and Claire to be alone... just for a while.**

**Note:**

**\- Yup, the hat-wearing Tyrant is finally given a name, and it's, well, Mr. X. I always planned to have Sherry name him. Plus, now I can refer to the Tyrant as "Mr. X" from here and forward.**


	6. Grappling Your Emotions

**Last we left off, the heroes are separated into groups all on their own. Leon and Claire. Chris and Jill. Sherry and Jake. To make writing this simpler for myself, we're gonna go one chapter per "campaign" (for the lack of a better word).**

**For this chapter, we're starting off with Leon and Claire, the story's main focuses. So, read and enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the most recent reviews: BlindEye1419, evolution-500, Xaori, Belleredfield**

After hours of seeing nothing but pitch black, Leon finally opens his eyes. His vision was quite blurry and he wasn't feeling so good getting up. He's mildly disoriented, most likely because of the tranquilizer dart, and his body feels like jelly. _That was no ordinary tranq dart_, he thought. _I swear if it's another virus then I'm gonna lose it_, he complained mentally. Well, he feels nothing yet. The disorientation and the weak feeling in his limbs are starting to slowly disappear. His vision clears as his motor functions return to normal, kind of. He was in a cell where the walls are made of metal and he has no weapons.

"Ugh, feels like I got a hangover," Leon complained. "The airport... that woman... Claire... Claire? Claire!"

Leon quickly stands up upon remembering that he wasn't the only one tranquilized at the airport. Claire was too. He runs to the cell's door and starts hitting it, desperately trying to escape to see if Claire is okay.

"Claire! Claire! Claire, are you out there?! Claire! Can you hear me?!" Leon shouted.

Nothing. No one responded to him. And all the banging and punching is not helping him get out. The door is made of thick metal. He's gonna need a grenade or a rocket launcher to break through it.

"Dammit!" He cursed, banging the door in anger. "Chris is gonna kill me."

All of a sudden, the door opens, just like that. Leon slowly walks out of the open cell door just in case it's a trap. He expected troopers to be present to probably take him to an ever worse cell or a lab for human experimentation. But there's no one there. The entire cell block is empty. None of the cells are occupied. No guards on patrol. It's just him.

"Hello?" Leon called. "Claire? Anybody?"

Suddenly, the door to the cell block opens. One trooper showed up and immediately noticed the escaped prisoner. He points his rifle at Leon, who wisely put his hands up.

"Hold it right there!" The trooper ordered. "How did you get out?"

"You tell me. The door just opened itself," Leon replied casually.

"Get back inside," the trooper ordered.

"I would, but I can't guarantee the door will keep me in," Leon joked.

"I said get back in!" The trooper repeated.

Unexpectedly, the trooper gets shot in the back with an arrow. Two more arrows pierce his back, finally forcing him on his knees before lying down. As if Leon needed to guess who those arrows came from. Standing up high on the wall, close to the ceiling, via grappling hook, is none other than...

"Ada," Leon said.

Yes, it's Ada. Still an absolute beauty even for her age, all dressed up in her red sleeved top and black tights. Ada drops down from the ceiling and checks on the trooper, making sure he stays down. She steals what appears to be a key card from him.

"I don't suppose this is a rescue mission, is it?" Leon questioned.

"I may have pushed a few buttons, literally speaking," said Ada. "I see you got a shave and a haircut. More or less the same, but still so you."

Ada picks up the rifle and tosses it to Leon, figuring he could use a weapon. She even tossed him extra magazines found on the trooper's belt. The more bullets, the better, after all.

"C'mon. We don't have much time," said Ada.

"Hang on a minute," Leon interrupted. "Just a while ago, someone tranq'd me and Claire Redfield at the airport. That someone was wearing a mask, but I could hear her voice. Modulated, but I know it's a her. And now you happen to be here at my kidnappers' secret HQ." Gripping the rifle hard, he says, "How do I know you're not that masked woman?"

"Why capture you just to let you go?" Ada pointed out.

"You tell me," Leon challenged. "But that still doesn't explain why you're here. These people may not be afraid to conduct public shootouts, but I doubt they'd want anyone to know where they're hiding... unless you're working for them, even if you're not the one in the mask."

"Well, aren't you being a lot more careful with me?" Ada said in her usual seductive tone. "To think, last time we saw each other, I helped clear your name."

"Just can't leave anything or anyone out, that's all. You never know who you can trust," Leon said with caution.

"Let's just say our agreement didn't involve you," said Ada. "You want to find Redfield, right? Follow me."

"Won't your _superiors_ be angry that you betrayed them?" Leon asked.

"Their security cameras are down," said Ada. "But the security room is just for that. Security. The main control room is where you control the whole facility, and they don't trust me to be in there."

"And you need my help," Leon guessed.

"Ready for another date?" Ada teased.

"If this is what you call a date, I might as well keep flowers on me all the time," Leon joked.

"So grown-up, yet still such a boy," Ada teased further.

"Where is Claire, Ada?" Leon asked in a demanding manner, tired of wasting time even with the gorgeous red-clad mercenary.

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ****~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Even though Ada disabled the security room, the place is still roaming with troopers. Leon followed Ada through the dimly-lit corridors. They both keep quiet as Ada closes in on Claire's location. Leon can only hope that he can trust her... to take him to Claire.

"Not even a thank you, Leon, or an _I miss you_?" Ada asked quietly.

"Not now," Leon whispered.

"Hmm, this Claire must be really something to you," said Ada. "A fellow Raccoon City survivor? Or something else?"

Leon sighs, but he didn't say anything. Ada just shot a smirk at him as she continued. Ada stopped at a door labeled 01A. She prepares her crossbow. Leon keeps tight grip on his rifle. They can hear voices inside, which means there are troopers inside and there's gonna be a fight.

"Ms. Redfield is the guest of honor, right? Well, maybe that's why they decided to keep her in her own special room," said Ada.

"They came for her. I'm here because I was with her," said Leon.

"And why were you with her?" Ada asked curiously.

Leon sighs again. "This is not the time to..."

Leon is cut off he heard the sound of an small explosion inside Room 01A, followed by the sound metal hitting something from inside. Ada opens the door with the key card and two raise their weapons high, only to see that Claire seems to be handling herself well.

She is cuffed to a chair, but she's using that chair to her advantage. She manages to stand up in spite slouching because of the chair. She starts spins around, using the chair's legs to hit the troopers. She can still use her legs, as she manages to kick the troopers away from her. Three of the five troopers inside are unconscious, probably because of that little explosion, which they guess is caused by a grenade. Leon shoots Trooper #4 and Ada puts arrows in Trooper #5, taking them out. Claire "sits" back down to relax a little. Fighting with a chair strapped to your back is not easy.

"What took you so long?" Claire asked.

"I, uh, had some help," Leon said, gesturing to Ada.

"Oh," Claire reacted casually.

"Did you find out why they were after you?" asked Leon.

"I'm guessing they didn't even know why. They were just ordered to get me," said Claire.

Leon grabs the cuff key from one of the troopers and uncuffs Claire for the chair. Claire helps herself to one of the trooper's rifles, along with a handgun and a grenade.

"Claire, your face," Leon said.

Claire had a bruise below her right eye. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but it's hard not to notice. She was kind ashamed that he did as she looked away from him.

"Let's just say these guys don't like prisoners who talk smack," said Claire.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Leon asked, still concerned.

"Really, Leon, I'm fine," Claire assured.

Claire starts walking over to the door, only to bend over in pain, holding on to her right abdomen. Leon quickly rushes over to her to hold her up, keeping her from falling down. Claire tried to put on this "take punishment like a champ" act, but while she definitely did, she can't just act like the pain isn't bothering her. Leon keeps her on her feet with both arms wrapped around her shoulders in a gentle and caring manner. Claire turns her head and looks at him as he holds her up. That grateful look in her eyes, along with the stoic but adoring look in his, it made them both forget for a while that they're prisoners in the new Umbrella's HQ.

When the awkwardness of the situation hit them, Leon lets go of her and Claire gets some distance. No words or um's exchanged. Just awkward silence between them.

To forget about what just happened, Claire looked over at the other woman in the room.

"You must be Ada Wong," Claire presumed. "I'm Claire Redfield."

Claire holds out her hand, and Ada politely accepts the handshake.

"Another famous survivor of Raccoon City. I should be starstruck," said Ada.

"Okay, Ada, you owe us answers," said Leon. "A villager from Mexico saw you just before the village was infected. Their drinks were laced with the T-Virus. And, if I have to mention again, you're in here."

"That's a wild accusation," Ada evaded.

"Enough, Ada," Leon snapped, fed up with her evasive tendencies.

"I was just doing my job, Leon," Ada said defensively.

"Infecting innocent villagers? That's your job?" Leon questioned. "I know you would do anything to accomplish you missions, but you never hurt innocent people unless they're infected. You caused the infection this time."

"You don't understand," said Ada.

"Then make me understand, Ada," Leon pleaded. "Why work with Umbrella?"

"Let's just get to the main control room. You have another fellow Raccoon City survivor to rescue," Ada said, dodging his question again.

"Sherry?" Leon and Claire reacted.

"I heard she and Wesker Jr. have been captured as well, only they're being taken to a different facility," said Ada.

"And what about you?" asked Leon. "They find out you double-crossed them, you're putting a target on your back."

"I'm used to it, Leon," said Ada. "Now, I have an idea. Get changed and meet me across the hall."

Ada leaves the room, waiting for Leon to "get dressed" before following. Leon just stared at the door, obviously thinking about the woman behind it. Claire tried to hold back the smile on her face, but she can't. This moment, it's too much.

"So, that's the infamous Ada Wong, huh?" Claire said. "She's lovely, in a way."

"You have no idea," said Leon.

"Can we trust her?" asked Claire.

"Yes and no," Leon answered ambiguously.

"You sure she isn't that masked woman from the airport?" asked Claire.

"Thought of it myself. She didn't say yes or no," said Leon. "Go scout the area with her. I need to get changed."

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ****~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Things were not so calm in the main control room. Word of Leon's escape and the disabling of the security cameras spread. The troopers and the scientists in the facility are on high alert. All the scientists are to remain in their designated labs until further notice while the troopers patrol the entire facility. About twelve troopers guarded the main control room while the operators work on figuring out what's going on.

Someone knocked on the door, prompting one trooper to answer. Well, answer without opening it.

"You lose your key card or something?" The trooper asked the person behind the door.

"That Kennedy bastard took it," said the trooper on the other side.

The trooper inside the room decided to open the door and let the other trooper in. This trooper coming in suddenly grabbed the other in a choke hold and points his rifle at his face. Underneath the mask is actually Leon, who dressed up as a trooper, according to Ada's plan. All the other troopers noticed the rogue trooper and pointed their guns at him. The operators too were distracted by this commotion.

"Don't move or I'll shoot," Leon threatened.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Trooper #2 asked.

"It's Kennedy," the hostage trooper guessed. "Shoot him!"

"Not a wise idea, pal," said Leon.

"Let him go and return to your cell, Kennedy," Trooper #3 ordered.

"Sorry, but I don't want to miss out on the next briefing," Leon joked. "I mean, what's next? Fashion meeting? These costumes are ridiculous. Protective, but it doesn't really scream _Umbrella_. Have you tried umbrella cloth for armor?"

While Leon jokes around, Ada and Claire sneak in through the ventilation system. Kick the grate open would make noise and attract attention, so Ada uses a bolt cutter she found. She cuts the thin bars as quietly as she can and gives them to Claire in the back. One the grate bars were snapped off, Ada sneakily jumps out. Claire opted to stay in the vent as a sniper, using the rifle as her weapon of choice.

"Also, seriously, a public attack? You guys are doing a poor job emulating the old Umbrella. Hell, at least Neo-Umbrella stayed hidden," Leon continued insultingly.

"Shut up!" Trooper #4 shouted.

"Just put the guns down, boys, and maybe I'll shut up," Leon said flippantly.

Ada grabs one operator quietly and chokes him by wrapping one arm and one leg around his throat. She chokes him until he was unconscious. She takes her white coat and sits down on her chair, pretending to work when she's really deactivating all the locks (a select few rooms under lockdown, such as the entrance, can't be overridden by key cards).

"What are you doing?" One operator asked, having caught Ada.

"Just needed some fresh air," Ada joked.

"Holy shit! You're Ada Wong," the operator recognized. "Hey! It's Ada Wong!"

Ada grabs her special crossbow and shoots arrows at Troopers #2 and #10. Leon throws his hostage at Trooper #3 and then shoots them both. Claire guns down Trooper #5 and #9 from the vent.

"Over there! It's Redfield!" Trooper #4 shouted. He saw Claire.

"Shit," Claire cursed.

Just as the troopers start firing at the vent, Claire jumps out. She lands hard on her shoulder, but was still able to get up and use her rifle, albeit with slightly messier aiming.

The unarmed operators duck for cover as everyone else start shooting at each other.

Leon starts speed-walking to the nearest cover as he shoots at any trooper he sees. He manages to take down Trooper #6. Trooper #7 was about to shoot at Leon, but Ada knocks his rifle off his hand. Leon punches Trooper #7 in the face twice and knocks him down with a smooth roundhouse kick to the helmet.

Claire fights through her hurting shoulder and shoots at Trooper #4. The first three bullets barely did anything, so she threw her S.T.A.R.S. knife at his chest to finish the job. Claire sees Trooper #11 coming from behind her, so she back-kicks him and whacks his rifle off his hands. She simply shoots the trooper to end it.

Ada gives herself a boost with handspring and kicks Trooper #8's face to the floor. She dodges Trooper #11's shooting and hits him with a cartwheel kick. She kicks Trooper #10's rifle off his hand, so he settles for a knife. She dodges his swings and then grabs his arm, directing his knife into him own gut. Ada adds an arrow to the back just in case.

Claire pulls her knife out of Trooper #4 and wipes the blood off it against the trooper's body. Leon takes off the helmet because it was getting hot in there, but he kept the body armor.

"I see you still carry that thing around," said Leon.

"I only use it out when I really need it. I prefer long-distance combat anyways," said Claire. "Hey, where's Ada?"

Leon turns around and sees that Ada is no longer in the room. When questioning the operators, one of them pointed to the computer that Ada used. Not only did she open all the doors in the facility but she also looked up on virus samples in Lab 3. Ada didn't highlight any specific sample she had her eye on. Before Leon can read the sample's name, a virus shorts out all of the computers in the control room. _Smart girl_, Leon thought. Of course Ada didn't want him to know.

"We gotta get to Lab 3," said Leon.

"What about them?" Claire asked, referring to the operators.

"Forget them," said Leon. "Just as long as they don't leave this room."

"Hey, no problem," said one cowardly operator.

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ****~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Leon and Claire run to Lab 3, where they find Ada stealing a sample. Claire aims her gun at Ada, but Leon calms her down. Leon walks closer towards Ada, only for her to point her gun at him, forcing him to stop and forcing Claire to aim her gun at Ada again.

"You used me again," Leon accused.

"I didn't use you. I just helped you escape," Ada said with fake innocence.

"Why are you stealing from your own employers?" asked Claire.

"I'm afraid we don't have time for answers," said Ada.

Ada takes out a detonator and pushes the button. It activated a bomb she planted in the facility's main power room. Once that blows, the entire facility goes deeper underground.

"You have about fifteen minutes before this entire facility becomes a crater on this mountain," said Ada.

"Mountain?" Leon questioned.

"Oh, didn't you know? You're in Antarctica," Ada answered. "I'll be taking the jet. You find your own way out. You always do."

Ada fires a couple shots to force Leon and Claire to duck. She jumps and runs pass them to the door. Ada takes out her grappling hook and grapples on to the ceiling. Before grappling away, she looks back at the two Raccoon City survivors with that conniving smirk of hers.

"Nice meeting you, Claire. Take care of good ole Leon for me, will you?" Ada said. "Oh, and, Leon..." She pulls out her compact and says, "Thanks for returning it."

Ada grapples out of sight.

"Let her slip through your fingers. Again, I presume," Claire teased.

"Claire! Ten minutes," Leon reminded.

* * *

_14:00.03_

Leon and Claire run as fast as they can to the exit. They encountered some troopers along the way, but they took care of all of them. They didn't have to, but they were in their way and they took shots at them first. They had to enter the elevator along with a couple Umbrella troopers. When the elevator reached the top floor, Leon and Claire came out with more weapons while the two Umbrella troopers lie unconscious at the mercy of the bomb Ada planted in the facility.

_09:11.34_

Leon and Claire finally made it outside. At last, they're finally somewhere that isn't dark with metal walls. The mountain is actually quite a wonderful, what with the white snow, lovely rock formations covered in snow, and a nice blue sky above. The cold daylight breeze may be chilling, but it's harmless enough for now. There will be enough time to admire Antarctica if they weren't still running against a 10-minute timer. They may be outside the facility, but they still need to get to a safe distance away from the place.

_08:42.96_

Unfortunately, the only jet in this facility has been stolen by Ada, and the choppers are, for some reason, in poor condition.

"She really didn't want us to leave, huh?" Claire criticized. "What do you see in her?"

Suddenly, they heard a beastly roar close by.

"I don't think Ada is the one who caused this mess," said Leon.

A trooper's dead body comes flying out of a broken chopper. Stepping out of the chopper on four legs is, to the two survivors' surprise, a polar bear with a decaying body and demonic eyes. It roars at the two of them on first sight.

"Using the T-Virus on a polar bear? That's rich," Claire criticized casually.

"Think we should just ignore it?" Leon wondered.

"It's never gonna let us leave," said Claire.

"We don't have a lot of time," said Leon.

The polar bear runs towards the two of them at a speed much faster than a normal polar bear and attacks. Leon and Claire jump in opposite directions to avoid its pounce. The polar bear decides to go after Leon. Despite being on the ground on his back, Leon quickly fires at the polar bear's head with his handgun, which does little. He had to roll out of the way when the polar bear pounced again. There he is, still on the ground and at the polar bear's mercy. It started slashing at him, so he had to move as fast as he can to avoid getting scratched. Unfortunately, he couldn't dodge forever and gets slashed across the left side of his chest.

"Leon!" Claire cried.

Claire's cry attracts the polar bear's attention. The polar bear instead attacks Claire. Claire runs as fast as she can while shooting at the polar bear's head. It was getting dazed and becoming directionless from getting hit in the head with too many bullets, so that's a good thing. Unfortunately, Claire trips on a rock and falls, which gives the polar bear an easy opportunity.

"Claire, look out!" Leon cried out.

Claire takes out a grenade and pulls the pin. When the polar bear pounced, Claire tosses the grenade up at the same time she rolls out of the way. The polar bear's claws hit nothing, but his mouth did catch the grenade. When it exploded, so did its head.

_06:09.77_

"Infected or not, being the cause of one less polar bear in the world is terrible," said Claire.

"We don't have much time," said Leon.

Leon tried to move, but the scratch marks on his chest made it difficult. He's bleeding out and it hurts him to move.

"Stop. You're bleeding," said Claire.

"We have to go," said Leon.

"Wait," said Claire.

Claire picks up some snow and applies them to Leon's wound like an ice bag to slow down the bleeding. He grunts in pain because the snow was giving him a cold burn.

"Should you even do that?" asked Leon.

"Like you said, we don't have time," said Claire.

Claire takes off her red jacket and wraps it around Leon's wound like a cast. She made sure to be as careful as she can, which was comforting for Leon. Nothing like a gentle medical touch to make the patient feel like the doctor truly cares. Without her jacket, Claire is just left in the black T-shirt she wore underneath.

"You'll get cold," said Leon.

"I'm not the one who's bleeding," Claire smiled.

She's willing to shiver and freeze just to make sure he's patched up and moving. If Leon didn't admire Clair before, he sure as hell does now.

"So, how do we get down from this mountain?" asked Claire.

Leon looks at the busted choppers. He looked back and forth between the rotor blades and the long way down the mountain. An idea pops in his head.

"Do you know how to snowboard?" asked Leon.

"The Redfields went on a ski house vacation once," said Claire. "Why?"

_03:30.05_

Leon and Claire soon start snowboarding down the mountain using broken rotor blades as snowboards. It's a crazy idea on Leon's part, but it was working. They're almost out of time, but they're getting distance from the facility. An avalanche is no doubt going to start when the bomb goes off. They need to get as far away as they can... and have fun while doing it.

"Whoa-ho-ho!" Claire exclaimed, exhilarated from the adrenaline. "Wow, I didn't think this was gonna work."

"It's still a bad idea," Leon said as he dodged rocks as best as he can. "When the boom goes off, there'll be an avalanche. We have to keep steering right in order to avoid being right in front of it in the event it catches up."

"Got it," said Claire. "As long as you can keep up."

Claire steers right quickly, racing Leon to the bottom of the mountain. Leon rolls his eyes, but accepts the challenge. He steers right and chases after Claire, all the while being careful hitting anything.

_00:03.00..._

_00:02.00..._

_00:01.00..._

_00:00.00_

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! One explosion after another and Umbrella's Antarctica facility is collapsing into nothing but a huge pile of metal, rock, and snow. As predicted, an avalanche starts. Fortunately, Leon and Claire almost four minutes ahead and already out of the avalanche's line of destruction. Even if it catches up to them, it'll just pass by them.

"It would be crazy of me to think that this is the new Umbrella's only headquarters, right?" Claire said.

"This facility prioritized discretion over security. It's more likely this Umbrella has more than one base," said Leon.

"But we'll stop them, won't we?" Claire said determinedly.

"As long as we're together, definitely," said Leon.

"By the way, nice snowboarding out there," Claire complimented. "Where did you learn how to snowboard?"

"It's a weird story," said Leon.

**Well, that concludes the first chapter in the Leon and Claire campaign (yes, I'm gonna be calling it that, for some reason) and the introduction of Ada Wong to my story. The polar bear was a last minute thought as I thought this chapter could use a boss fight, even if it was pretty short. Hey, I try my best, which is what can be said for every writer.**

**So, what do you think of this chapter?**

**Note:**

**\- Leon and Claire skateboarding scene was inspired by their guest appearance in the video game, Trick'N Snowboarder.**


	7. Returning Nightmares

**In the previous chapter, we found out what happened to Leon and Claire. Now, let's see what's going with Chris and Jill. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: Belleredfield, BlindEye1419**

**_To Belleredfield_: The previous chapter sorta explained where Jake and Sherry are. The new Umbrella have more than one base. Leon and Claire were taken to the Antarctic facility, but Sherry and Jake are somewhere else. Don't worry. We'll get to them soon.**

Blood burning. Brain throbbing. Fingers shaking. These are all what Jill is feeling as she nears to waking up. She has been asleep for a long time, ever since that masked woman infiltrated the BSAA's main base of operations and injected her with some sort of serum. The last thing she remembered was seeing Chris' face before she drifted into an indefinitely long slumber. She would open her eyes now, but her mind was being plagued with nightmares. The serum's effect on her body wasn't helping with suppressing them.

Tackling Albert Wesker out a window and down a cliff.

The experiments Wesker put her into.

The mind-control device.

Poisoning a South African village with the Uroboros.

Being aware of her horrid actions but unable to stop herself.

One of the doctors entered the room only to see Jill shaking and grunting. Her heart rate was spiking. The doctor pushes the emergency call button, which he uses to summon more doctors to help him. As he waits, he tries to keep Jill under control. But when he touched her...

Jill opens her eyes and immediately kicks the doctor in the face. Jill didn't stop there. She grabs the doctor by the coat, lifts him off his feet (with one hand, not to mention), and throws him to a wall across the room. As the doctor struggles to get back up, Jill walks towards him with harmful intent, as shown by that angry look on her face. The doctor tries to grab something to defend himself, only for Jill to grab his arm and break it by twisting it. She puts her hands around the doctor's neck and starts choking him. He can't pry her hands off him and she won't stop. She keeps squeezing and squeezing, trying to choke him to death.

Fortunately, Chris and two doctors show up to see what was happening. Chris tells the doctors to stand back while he handles this.

"Jill, stop! What are you doing?" Chris asked, confused.

Chris pulls Jill off the doctor, only to get punched in the face by Jill. It was only when this happened that Jill started to calm down. Looking at her own hand in horror and then down at the injured doctor, Jill finally snaps out of it. She stumbles back to a wall and drops down while holding her face in shame. The two doctors help the injured doctor while Chris checks on Jill.

"I'm sorry. I... I... I couldn't stop it," Jill apologized.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're fine," Chris said calmly.

"No, no, I'm not," Jill said anxiously. "No, I'm not fine, Chris."

"Hey, hey, talk to me," said Chris. "What happened?"

"It's happening again. It's happening again," Jill said, sounding like she's traumatized or something.

"What's happening again?" asked Chris.

"That serum. The one that masked woman injected me with. The effects. They all feel familiar," said Jill.

"What do you mean?" asked Chris.

"P30," Jill revealed. "It's happening again, Chris."

Jill touches the spot on her chest where a P30 device was once planted on her. The nightmares just keep coming back, despite having gone through rehab. Just when she thought she was okay...

"I guess that explains your anger," said Chris.

"But this dose is much worse. For one thing, she didn't need to stick some device on my chest. All she needed was a needle," said Jill.

"We gotta get that thing out of you," said Chris. "We just need a blood sample."

Jill looks at the injured doctor and says, "I'm sorry."

"If this is serum-influenced, then I won't hold it against you, Ms. Valentine," said the injured doctor.

All the doctors leave the room while Jill sits back down on her bed. Chris stays there to make sure she doesn't lash out again. Before you know it, the tables and the medical equipment are gonna feel her wrath. Putting that hilarious thought aside, Chris focused on Jill. She had that look on her face that he remembered all too well. After Kijuju, Jill has been plagued with nightmares about what Wesker did to her and what she did for him under his control. That was why she had to be put into rehab for a few years.

"The nightmares again?" Chris guessed.

Jill knew he would guess it right away, but she hated that he did.

"You don't have to be ashamed, Jill," said Chris.

"I just thought I had moved past this," said Jill. "I'm finally back on the field with you, just focusing on fighting bio-terrorism without having to worry about Wesker anymore. But now, the new Umbrella and their affinity for the past, it's all coming back."

"You won't have to go back to rehab if we get this serum out of you," said Chris.

"Somehow, I doubt it's gonna be that easy," said Jill.

Chris takes a brief break from comforting Jill to check on his phone. He was waiting for something. Anything. A phone call or a text message. He had to resist the urge to crush the phone in anger when nothing came.

"Still no word from Claire?" Jill asked, knowing what Chris was thinking.

Word of Leon and Claire's capture spread fast. When Chris got the word, he punched a wall. The wall was made of metal. Those who saw his reaction were surprised his fist didn't dent the wall. But they wouldn't say that joke out loud to his face, not when his sister was in danger.

"She'll be all right, Chris," said Jill. "She won't be alone. Leon was taken, too."

"Yeah. Leon," Chris said in an unsure, skeptical tone.

"You don't trust him with her?" asked Jill.

"I trust Leon to keep her safe," said Chris.

"But you don't trust him with Claire's feelings," Jill suspected.

"And here I thought you were interested in him," Chris joked stoically.

"Whatever Leon and Claire have going on, you shouldn't be too worried. Besides, they'll be too busy trying to protect each other," said Jill.

Chris' BSAA phone rang. To his delight, it was Claire. He quickly answered. Seeing the relieved smile on Chris' face, Jill knew who called him. She moved a little closer to him so she can talk to Claire too. Her image showed on the screen. As Jill said, she's fine. There was a scar on her face, though, which worried both Chris and Jill. But she was alive and that was good enough for the redhead's big brother.

"Claire! Thank God," Chris said, relieved.

_"Yeah, well, thank Him and thank Leon," said Claire._

Claire kindly moved the phone a little further from her face so Chris and Jill can see Leon too. Chris, once again, started to feel a little protective just seeing Leon and Claire together. He should be glad since they're both okay, but still...

_"Hey, Chris," Leon greeted._

"Leon. Glad you're okay as well," said Chris.

_"Hey, Jill," Leon greeted, looking at the fellow blonde. "I was worried I wasn't going to your face again."_

"Well, I could say the same to you, Leon," Jill said with a suspicious smile.

"Claire, where are you?" Chris interrupted.

Leon, Claire, and Jill were all trying to hold back their amused expressions. The moment Leon and Jill start flirting, Chris purposely cuts them off. Chris felt a little miffed at everyone.

_"We're in Madagascar," Claire answered. "We're on our way to Paris."_

"Why?" asked Chris. "Why can't you come home now?"

_"Ada Wong stole a sample of a virus or a serum from the new Umbrella's Antarctic base," said Claire._

_"When we escaped, we found out from one of their foot soldiers that Ada was supposed to be meeting someone in France," said Leon. "We don't know who, but we can't waste this lead."_

"Wait for us there," said Chris. "Don't do anything until we get there."

_"Okay, but you better get there before we do. Wouldn't want you miss all the action," Claire said._

"We'll leave A.S.A.P.," Chris responded.

_"See you there," said Leon. "Don't be late, Ms. Valentine. I'd love to demonstrate my marksmanship to you."_

"Looking forward to it, Leon," Jill replied slyly.

Chris quickly hanged up. Jill can only guess that Leon and Claire must be laughing at her partner right now, which was something she was trying not to do. She laughed on the inside, though, as she just let out a little smile. Sometimes, a smile is enough to express one's amusement.

"And you wonder why I don't trust him with Claire," said Chris.

"Well, after this blood test, we're leaving," said Jill.

"No, you're not going," said Chris. "We don't when the virus will act up again..."

"Chris," Jill interrupted. "This is about your sister, not me. Besides, the virus enhanced my physiology. Wesker's strength and speed, it's in me. I can use this. I know I'm the last person who should encourage this, but there's gotta be silver linings."

Chris sighs in defeat and says, "Fine. After we get your results, we're leaving."

* * *

After Jill's blood test, she and Chris head off to Paris on a BSAA helicopter. Accompanying them are ten BSAA soldiers and the pilot. While the soldiers talk about how pumped they are for the next mission, Chris was rereading Jill's blood test results. They were very worrying. Jill sat across him with a worried face of her own. She can understand that he's worried, but she needed him to be more worried about Claire right now.

"Nanotechnology?" Chris wondered.

"That's how the P30 is being sustained in my body," said Jill. "Until the BSAA can find themselves a nanotechnology expert, I'm gonna be defying age for a while."

"Not like you weren't already," Chris commented kindly. He switches to serious and asks, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"I could've killed you, remember? Years ago? But I didn't," Jill reminded. "You are my rock, Chris. You always were. You punch away all the boulders that stand in our way."

Chris actually lets out a split-second chuckle in response. He hated it when people poke fun at him for the time he punched a boulder, but he was actually touched. Maybe that's because this was a different moment between him and Jill. In a way, he would also consider her as his rock. _If only I could tell her that in a way that doesn't make her talk about boulders again_, he thought.

"Well, we're partners, aren't we?" Chris said casually. "We watch each other's backs, keep each other on our feet, and never let each other go."

Jill felt the need to reach out and hold his hand, as if to really emphasize the whole "never let each other go" point. But she resisted. For one thing, she didn't want to do this in front of the soldiers. And second, she doesn't want to scare him. Chris has never been one to go deep with his emotions, except for anger, like when he desired vengeance against who he thought was Ada Wong.

Some of the soldiers were gossiping behind their backs, as they have noticed the look on both their captains' faces when staring at one another.

"Are you sure those two aren't married or visiting each other's apartments?" Victor whispered.

"I'm surprised they weren't already engaged back in Raccoon City," Fred replied quietly.

"Shh, quiet," Sean silenced them. "Their personal lives are not our concern."

"Yeah, but it's a popular rumor around the BSAA. Those two, I mean," said Victor.

Suddenly, the helicopter started to shake, silencing the gossiping. The helicopter felt like it was losing altitude. Then it shook again. Everyone was starting to get worried.

"Check on the pilot," Chris ordered.

Victor obeys the order. When he reached the cockpit, he found the pilot seemingly falling asleep or something. He kept fiddling around with the steering wheel, although it didn't look like he was doing it on purpose.

"Are you okay, Reggie?" Victor asked.

Unfortunately, Reggie dropped to the floor. Victor had to sit down on the pilot's seat and steer the helicopter to keep it from crashing. He doesn't know how to fly a helicopter, but the best he can do is keep the rotors running.

"What happened?" Chris asked.

Sean checks for a pulse and says, "He's still alive."

Suddenly, Reggie starts shaking. He's shaking like he's going into cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The veins on Reggie's skin start to blacken. His face was getting paler. When he stopped shaking, everyone thought he was dead or unconscious. Suddenly, his entire body becomes engulfed in black vile tentacles that wave around at great speed and extend with great lengths, along with orange pulsing organs that were sickening to look at. The tentacles immediately impales Sean and Fred through their chests, then through their heads, then through their eyes, killing them horribly and instantly. The mutated Reggie pounces on Victor and kills him in a very gruesome way, sticking its tentacles into every part of his body in very painful ways.

Jill once again becomes plagued with flashbacks of her horrible past. The development of the very substance she unwillingly used to infect an innocent African village. Black tentacles. Dead eyes. Red eyes. The horrible killings. She tries to fight these nightmares to focus on what's in front of her.

"It's Uroboros," Chris recognized.

"But without my antibodies to stabilize," Jill said.

"Honestly, I think I'd rather be fighting a superhuman rather than a mutant," said Chris.

"But how did Reggie get infected?" Jill wondered.

"Damn it. Umbrella. They must've had a mole on the inside," Chris surmised.

The mutated Reggie starts flailing its tentacles around the place, killing more of the soldiers. Chris and Jill Reggie pushes one soldier through the roof, slamming him against the rear rotors, damaging them. The blades slow down as some of them snap off. The engines start to explode and fail, causing the front rotor blades to stop spinning. The helicopter starts to shake again. You only have to look out the window to see that the helicopter is losing altitude fast.

"That's not good," said Jill.

"Shoot at the orange stuff!" Chris ordered.

Chris, Jill, and the remaining three agents start firing their guns at the mutated Reggie. One by one, they pop the orange organs that act as its core. Reggie was being weakened, but it kept going in spite of it. The tentacles suck in another soldier and kills him before "spitting" him out. The tentacles grabs Jill, but she shoves a grenade inside of Reggie. The grenade goes off and keeps the mutated Reggie down on the ground temporarily.

"It's not enough. We need fire and a lot of it," said Chris.

"We have to crash the helicopter," Jill suggested. "The explosion will kill it for sure."

"The parachutes," Chris ordered.

One of the soldiers suddenly takes out her gun and shoots the other the other soldier, much to Chris and Jill's shock. Chris points his gun at the rogue soldier while Jill engages said soldier in up-close combat.

Jill grabs the soldier's arms before she could fire her gun. The soldier knees Jill in the stomach and throws her away. Jill spring-jumps herself towards the soldier and tackles her to the ground. Jill keeps on punching her until her helmet cracks. The soldier kicks Jill off her, only for Jill to do a jumping spin kick that shatters the glass of her helmet. Because of this, Chris and Jill can now see the face of the traitor. It's a face that they're familiar with and not in a good way.

"Jessica?" Chris reacted.

"Oh, you remember me. I'm flattered," said Jessica. "Hey, Jill. I see you've gone all blonde now. Nice look."

"I've changed a bit, I assume, unlike you," said Jill. "Same hair, same treacherous nature."

"What do you see in her, Chris?" Jessica questioned playfully. "All looks and no substance."

"Working for Umbrella, Jessica? That's an all new low, even for you," said Chris.

"A girl has her needs, you know," said Jessica. "I just came here to give you a message."

Jessica tosses Chris a flash drive.

"What's on it?" asked Chris.

"I'll let you find out," said Jessica. "Although, you may wanna see your old friend, Barry Burton."

"What did you do to him?" Jill asked angrily.

"Nothing. But someone else might take care of him," said Jessica.

The helicopter begins spinning out of control, throwing everyone off balance. Jessica grabs a parachute, opens the door, and jumps out. Jill was about to shoot her, but the helicopter's spinning wasn't helping.

"We'll worry about Jessica later. Right now, we need to get off," said Chris.

Unfortunately, the mutated Reggie has recovered from the grenade damage and lunges at the two BSAA veterans. They both jumps in opposite directions to avoid getting caught. Unfortunately, the tentacles grab their legs. All they can do is shoot at the tentacles and the orange stuff to hurt Reggie and free themselves from his grip. Jill grabs a fallen soldier's grenade launcher and fires an explosive shell at Reggie, stunning him long enough for the two to get some distance.

Chris quickly gets on the pilot's seat. Jill gets the parachutes.

"Time to lose some altitude," said Chris.

Chris shuts off the helicopter completely, helping the busted engines bring the helicopter to a crash landing. Weird, isn't it? These two actually want the crash their ride instead of keeping it in the air.

"Let's go!" Jill yelled.

The helicopter's spinning and descending wasn't making it easy for Chris and Jill. They keep getting tossed around inside. They got their parachutes, but they need to get out. Jill grabs hold of Chris' hand as he trudges his way to the doorway. Jill, suddenly remembering that she has the P30 inside her, jumps over Chris and - with their hands still intertwined - drags him with her in the air as she leaps over Reggie. Jill fires another explosive round at the mutated Reggie, knocking him back to the cockpit.

"Okay, that P30 might come in handy after all," Chris admitted.

Chris and Jill quickly jump out of the helicopter, which was seconds away from crash-landing. Jill pops open her chute. Chris was five seconds late, but he made it. They watch as the helicopter falls until it crashes into the nearest forest. They can see the explosion from where they are. They decided to steer themselves closer to the wreckage, just to make sure that Reggie is dead.

After landing safely, they check on the burning remains of the helicopter. The Uroboros monster is gone. Jill's plan worked. Unfortunately, the deaths of the soldiers accompanying them were not a cause for relief.

"They knew the risks, Chris," Jill said comfortingly.

"I told them that I wanted it to be just you and me on this mission. They volunteered to accompany us, and I let them," Chris said sadly.

"Then don't let their deaths be in vain," said Jill. "We find the ones behind the new Umbrella and make them pay. But first, we look for Claire."

"First, let's find out what's on this drive," said Chris.

Chris plugs the drive into his BSAA phone. A few files with the Umbrella icon showed up, meaning that Jessica wanted to share intel on the newest threat. _Why_, they both thought. Was Jessica playing the new Umbrella? But she shot and killed one of the soldiers on the helicopter, so she's not even on the BSAA's side as well. When Chris opened the file that was marked with a red glow, meaning it was the important, both he and Jill were shocked by what they found out.

"We have to get to Barry now," Chris said urgently.

* * *

In the Burton household, Barry and his family were just about to have dinner. Kathy was cooking dinner while Moira and Polly were getting the table ready. Natalia, however, was still upstairs, probably reading books. She was always asking for books with poetry in them. It confused the family, but they bought her the books anyway. She just liked to read, but her choice of books were quite strange.

"Moira, go get Natalia," said Barry. "She's been up there in her room forever."

"Probably more of that poetry shit," said Moira.

"I guess there's no point to the swearing lectures in this house," Kathy commented.

"I promise I would never swear, remember?" said Polly.

Someone rang the doorbell.

"Honey, can you get that?" Kathy asked.

"Okay," said Barry.

Barry answers the front door. He was expecting a girl scout or one of Polly's friends, but what - or who - he saw made him drop the polite look on his face and replace it with a shocked look.

"No fucking way," Barry cursed, horrified by who was at the door.

**Language, Barry! Language! You're lucky it's not Captain America at your door.**

**Anyways, that ends the first chapter on the Chris and Jill campaign. That Uroboros thing, well, I'd just make all this character-focused but I did promise B.O.W.s. from the past, didn't I? Leon and Claire fought a T-Virus-infected polar bear. So, an Uroboros monster is the best I can do for Chris and Jill. But, yeah, the Burtons have just arrived in the story now.**

**So, what do you think of this chapter? Anything to say about Leon and Claire's surprise call?**


	8. Tyrant

**As flawed as Resident Evil 6 was, Jake and Sherry's budding friendship was one of the best parts of it. At first, I wasn't going to include Jake. But then I changed my mind because Sherry was always going to be in this story and I already have Cleon and Valenfield here. I thought it'd be fair if I give Sherry a "partner," too. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.**

**Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: Xaori, evolution-500, theBlindEye, Belleredfield**

**_To Belleredfield_: Thanks for sharing your reaction to Chris' reaction on Jill and Leon flirting. It's honestly been a lot of fun writing that. Imagine when Chris and Jill do reunite with Leon and Claire.**

Ada said to Leon and Claire that the new Umbrella took Jake and Sherry to another facility. That facility is somewhere in Norway. The only living Birkin and the son of a Wesker were being held prisoner in this facility. As for the Tyrant (or Mr. X), he is being held in a heavily secured testing room. The scientist who created him, named Dr. Troy Newhart wants to find out why he didn't kill Sherry Birkin like he was instructed to.

Jake and Sherry are taken out of their cells and into the Tyrant lab to question them. They're cuffed, of course.

"Gee, I'm loving the hospitality here," Jake joked.

"The son of Albert Wesker, I presume," said Dr. Newhart.

"X!" Sherry cried.

Sherry could see Mr. X through a security footage inside some kind of metal box, probably reinforced so he can't break out. Two Umbrella troopers hold her back to keep her from doing anything stupid.

"X? Is that was you call him?" asked Dr. Newhart.

"Pretty much," Jake said sarcastically.

"Well, X here was supposed to terminate you, Ms. Birkin," said Dr. Newhart. "But it didn't. Instead, it would seem that it was following you like a lost puppy. Why is that?"

"You made that thing, didn't you?" Jake asked. "Shouldn't you know?"

"I sought to improve the T-00 from its predecessor. Make it smarter, more adaptive," said Dr. Newhart. "But something seems to have gone wrong."

"Yeah. You gave it a love for its hat," Jake joked.

"Jake," Sherry scolded.

"The security footage we acquired from the hotel shows us of what transpired, but only the image, not your words," said Dr. Newhart. "It would seem that you, Ms. Birkin, pleaded for Mr. Muller's life. The Tyrant spared him, but hesitated to kill you."

"I guess you made a mistake. You didn't improve his brain. You gave him a heart," said Sherry.

"Impossible," said Dr. Newhart. "A Tyrant is unable to feel emotion. Where did I go wrong?"

"Why exactly are we here?" asked Jake.

"I need to understand," said Dr. Newhart. "I detected an anomaly in the T-00's brain and heart. Something I can't make out. I have spent years dissecting the human mind, trying to improve the Tyrant's cunning. It would still be as strong and as sound-sensitive as its brother before. It is only now I see that the experiment had a mild flaw."

"You gave him a heart. True heart. You should be impressed with yourself," said Sherry.

"The only way to know for sure is to send you in, Ms. Birkin. Let's see if it truly listens to you," said Dr. Newhart.

"I've done this test before. This one won't be different," said Sherry.

Sherry is then shoved into the metal box with Mr. X by two troopers. As expected, Mr. X did nothing. He just stood and looked down at the blonde. Once again, Dr. Newhart is confused. The Tyrant was given specific orders to eliminate Sherry Birkin. Instead, it just stands there. Sherry walks closer towards the Tyrant and asks him to kneel down. She gently takes the hat off his head. Mr. X doesn't seem to mind. Sherry slowly reaches for his bald head and rubs it like she's petting a dog. After the petting, she puts his hat back on his head.

"Good boy," Sherry smiled.

Dr. Newhart is beyond confused. He continues analyzing the anomaly found in the Tyrant's system. He appears to be losing his mind, amusing Jake.

"Is it possible? Have I imbued a Tyrant with emotion?" Dr. Newhart wondered.

"You should be proud. You made a monster into a giant teddy bear," said Jake.

"It is intriguing," Dr. Newhart admitted. "I wonder..." He sends an order to the two troopers, saying, "Let's give Ms. Birkin some shock therapy, shall we?"

Jake tensed in anger. "You hurt her, I swear I'm gonna..."

Jake gets kicked in the leg by a trooper and tazed in the back by a shock prod, forcing him to think again about resisting. Jake is on his knees, forced to watch as the two troopers in the metal box drag Sherry out. They lock the supposedly indestructible glass door before Mr. X could stop them. One troopers takes out his shock prod and starts electrocuting Sherry with it, causing her to scream in pain.

"Sherry!" Jake cried in anger and fear.

Mr. X starts punching the glass, clearly trying to break out and save Sherry. The troopers just watch with amused faces underneath their helmets, knowing that the glass is designed to withstand even the Tyrant's strength. Unfortunately, Mr. X's twelfth punch cracks the glass. The next punches crack the glass more and more. The glass is breaking.

"Impossible!" Dr. Newhart exclaimed.

"Dr. Newhart," a fellow scientist called. "The Tyrant's system is spiking. It's getting stronger."

"But it's still wearing the power limiter," Dr. Newhart said.

"Power limiter?" Jake asked, confused. "Wait, the trench coat?"

It took about twenty punches until Mr. X finally broke through the glass. The troopers start shooting, but the bullets bounce off the Tyrant's black trench coat. It punches Trooper #1 so hard that he cracks his helmet and knocks him down to the floor. Mr. X pounds on Trooper #2's head with his fist like a hammer so hard, he broke through the helmet and its actually brain, killing him. Mr. X sees Trooper #1, still on the ground. He punches him in the head, shattering the helmet and squashing his head to paste.

Good thing Sherry closed her eyes this time. When it sounded like the violence was over, she opened her eyes and looked up at Mr. X.

"Thank you," Sherry smiled.

Mr. X walks back to his cell to get his hat back. After that, he bursts through the door to the Tyrant lab, where Jake and Dr. Newhart are along with a few scientists and some troopers.

"Fire the heart stopper!" Dr. Newhart shouted.

One of the troopers was armed with a gun that fires metal disks that were designed to temporarily shut down Mr. X, like back at the BSAA facility. However, Jake kicks that trooper in the leg and swings his cuffed hands at him, hitting him in the stomach and helmet.

Sherry, armed with a rifle she picked off one dead trooper, starts shooting at every trooper in the room just as they were about to fire. Jake kicks his own opponent down with a jumping two-footed kick before grabbing his rifle and shooting the downed trooper in the head.

"Super Girl! A little help here," Jake called, referring to his still cuffed hands.

Jake raises his arms high in the air, allowing Sherry to shoot the cuffs' chain, freeing Jake.

Mr. X, meanwhile, was slowly and menacingly walking towards his creator, Dr. Newhart.

"Stand back! That's an order!" Dr. Newhard ordered, afraid and desperate.

Dr. Newhart steps back, only to hit a dead end. A wall. Mr. X raises his fist and punches a literal hole through Dr. Newhart's stomach. This time, Jake and Sherry forgot to look away.

"Okay, that's terrible," Jake said casually, despite being horrified. "And I thought seeing a guy get drilled through the chest was enough."

"Let's get out of here," said Sherry.

Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X run (or, in Mr. X's case, walk) out of the Tyrant lab. Unfortunately, one scientist, who has not died yet from his bullet wound, crawls over to a dead trooper and grabs his communicator in order to send a message to the rest of the facility.

"Release the... the Nemesis," the dying scientist said.

* * *

Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X look for a way out of the facility. Sherry arms herself with an Umbrella-issue assault rifle and a shock rod. Jake steals himself a rifle and some flashbang grenades. They hide in what appears to be a storage room. It took Mr. X about ten seconds to get to them. Fortunately, they close and lock the door before a group of troopers saw them. They decide to hide here until the cost is clear. Good thing the storage room door has a window.

"Are you okay, Sherry?" asked Jake.

"I'm Super Girl, remember?" Sherry replied. "Also, thank X here."

Jake looks up at the Tyrant and says, "Uh, thanks, uh... Mr. X. Really. Thanks for saving Sherry."

"A Tyrant who can feel emotion. It's incredible," said Sherry.

"So, this was just an accident," Jake guessed. "Dr. Nutcase just wanted to make him smart. Instead, he made X capable of feeling. And he did all that with human brains?"

"He must've also tampered with the wrong genetic materials that make up his heart," said Sherry. "Instead of giving X the capability to adapt, the experiment must've given him the ability to think about how he's feeling. Sparing me because I begged for your life, it started wonder why it was sent after me."

"Right. Why on Earth would its... his... masters order him to kill someone so nice and selfless and pretty?" Jake agreed.

"Pretty?" Sherry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just being honest," Jake said, raising his arms cautiously.

"Well, is it okay if I call you _pretty_, too?" Sherry teased.

"Ha-ha, that's cute," Jake said sarcastically. "Anyway, cost is clear. Time to move."

Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X start sneaking their way around the place. Of course, having a 7'6'' Tyrant whose footsteps make thumping footsteps doesn't help them stay stealthy. Still, if they have to shoot their way out, they will.

"Over there!"

That was a trooper, who spotted them. This trooper, along with its fellow three, start shooting at Sherry and Jake. Sherry and Jake use Mr. X as a shield. The Tyrant just stands there, taking all the bullets for his new friends.

"I am starting to like him a lot more," Jake admitted.

"Grenade!" Sherry exclaimed.

One trooper threw a grenade that rolled through Mr. X's legs. Sherry and Jake jump out of the way. Good thing Mr. X can't be killed by a simple grenade.

"Okay, time for a boom of my own," said Jake.

Jake throws a flashbang grenade at the trooper army of four. The flashbang grenade stuns them, just long enough for Jake and Sherry to shoot them down. Sherry approaches the one that's barely alive.

"Where is the way out?" Sherry demanded an answer.

"East corridor," the dying trooper answered. "But you'll never get out... not when... it... comes for you..."

The trooper dies before Sherry can what "it" is.

"Let's hope he wasn't lying," said Jake.

* * *

Sherry and Jake run down the East corridor while Mr. X, as usual, walks. Good thing Sherry and Jake are good with guns. Every trooper that gets in their way are shot dead. Mr. X even crushed the head of a trooper attempting a long-distance attack from behind. Sometimes, Jake and Sherry have to fight troopers up-close, just to lessen the chance of friendly fire. Sherry trip-kicks one trooper before swiftly spin-kicking kicking him in the helmet. Jake was punching guys left and right and showing some smooth moves.

"If you're trying to impress me, it's kinda working," said Sherry.

"Eh, these guys are just guys with guns," said Jake.

Soon enough, Sherry and Jake were nearing the exit, but Mr. X is twenty seconds away from their position.

"I know he's designed like that, but would it kill him to, I don't know, run?" Jake complained. "Seriously, even a snail can move faster than that thing."

"Do you want to hurt his feelings?" Sherry criticized.

"It's not like he can hear me from all the way over there," said Jake.

"He can hear Leon and Claire from the other side of a police station," said Sherry.

"Well, at least things can't get any worse," said Jake.

Unfortunately, Jake is immediately proven wrong. Something just burst through the wall. It was another Tyrant, except it was another type. It looked like it was made of corroded skin and it had purple tubes attached to it. The flesh of its head appeared stapled. The exposed gums in its mouth, along with its sharp teeth, add to its terrifying appearance. It wore a partially torn leather coat that exposed its disgusting right shoulder. It looked down at Jake and Sherry with a not-at-all-friendly face.

"Sherry!" It growled.

"Friend of yours?" Jake joked.

"I think I would remember," Sherry joked back. "It's a Nemesis-T Type Tyrant. I read about it in the BSAA's files. This is the one Jill fought in Raccoon City."

"Mr. X and Nemesis? And I thought zombies were too much for that old city," Jake commented.

Jake shoots Nemesis multiple times in the head. Nothing happened. It stomps towards them, forcing them to step back. Jake eventually ran out of bullets on his rifle. Sherry didn't even bother to fire, as she read Nemesis' file and knew bullets won't work on him.

Mr. X catches up and steps in front of his two new friends, shielding them from Nemesis.

"Tyrant vs. Tyrant. People would pay millions for this, I'm sure," Jake joked.

Mr. X and Nemesis stare each other down. Mr. X cracks his knuckles in a very human way. Nemesis curls its fingers into battle-ready fists. Mr. X starts race-walking towards his opponent. Nemesis starts walking as well, only to suddenly start running.

"Oh, sure. Mr. Nemesis knows how to run," Jake complained.

The charging of both Tyrants at each other end with their fists colliding, creating a booming sound. Nemesis didn't waste time and punches Mr. X in the face with his other fist. Nemesis follows this with three more punches. Mr. X reacts in time to catch Nemesis' fist before the fifth punch. Mr. X pulls his fist back far and throws it at Nemesis' face hard, knocking him down. Nemesis gets back up and gets into a pushing contest with Mr. X. Their hands locked with force as they try to push the other down.

"We need to move!" Jake said.

Jake grabs Sherry's hand and starts running towards the exit, right pass the two fighting Tyrants.

"We can't leave him behind," said Sherry.

"X Boy here can't run. Nemesis can," said Jake. "Unless you got a rocket launcher hidden in that coat, we got no chance at stalling Dry Skin there long enough to get your new pet out."

"Well, we don't have a rocket launcher, but we have do have something else," said Sherry.

Sherry points to the ceiling. There just so happens to be a giant tank placed in a big hole in the ceiling. According to the warning sign on the bottom, there's acid inside of it. Whether it will kill Nemesis or not, it might buy them enough time. All they need to do is drop the tank on Nemesis. But first, they have to get Mr. X out of the way.

"Okay, Super Girl. What's the rest of the plan?" asked Jake.

"We need a grenade launcher," said Sherry. "I'll stay here and help X."

"Don't die when I get back," Jake said, sincerely worried.

"I won't," Sherry promised.

Jake runs away to look for a grenade launcher. I mean, these troopers are armed to the teeth. Surely, their weapons room has grenade launchers. Sherry stays and stays hidden to find a way to get Mr. X out of the way of the tank.

Nemesis pushes with all of his strength and pushes Mr. X to a wall. Mr. X kicks Nemesis away from him before socking him across the face. Nemesis roars as he grabs Mr. X and slams him to the wall. Nemesis rapidly punches Mr. X's face against the wall several times, breaking the wall with each punch and slam. It's just no use. The two Tyrants are equal in strength, but Nemesis actually has speed. Even when Mr. X managed to get one punch in, Nemesis continues punching Mr. X deeper into the wall.

Sherry takes out one grenade that she stole from a dead trooper and throws it at Nemesis. Nemesis is stunned by the grenade and drops to one knee. Mr. X takes this opportunity to punch Nemesis in the face as hard as he can, as many times as his limited speed can deliver. After five booming punches, Nemesis falls on his back.

"X, over here!" Sherry called.

Mr. X walks towards Sherry, away from Nemesis.

"Sherry!" Jake called.

Jake comes back with a grenade launcher and some explosive rounds. Nemesis was starting to get back up. Fortunately, Sherry had another grenade to keep Nemesis down. Sherry takes the grenade launcher, loads it and aims at the tank in the ceiling.

"Eat acid, Nemesis," she taunted.

Sherry fires the grenade launcher and blows up the ceiling, sending the tank crashing down on Nemesis, coating him in acid. It wasn't melting him like one would expect acid to do, but it was definitely keeping it down as it burns its skin and roars in pain.

Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X already started running (ahem... Mr. X... well, you know what I mean) the second Sherry fired the explosive round. They outrun the destruction and make it outside. They steal themselves a truck with a trailer big enough for Mr. X and ride off before the troopers inside could catch up. Good thing the truck has a built-in map. This way, they can find a place to hide the truck after they've driven far enough.

"Well, that was crazy," Jake said, slightly overwhelmed.

"Something tells me that's not the last we see of Nemesis," said Sherry. "Just like X, it wants me. Umbrella will hunt us down and will no doubt send Nemesis after us. We have a Tyrant, so they'll bring a Tyrant of their own."

"Cat and mouse. Great," Jake complained.

"But right now, we have to find Leon, Claire, and the others," said Sherry. "I heard from guard chatter than their Antarctic base has disappeared and that Leon and Claire were prisoners there. We also haven't heard from Chris and Jill since the BSAA supermax facility self-destructed."

"Don't you have your BSAA issue communication thingy?" asked Jake.

"No. They destroyed it," said Sherry.

"Well, in that case, just sit back and enjoy the ride. Let's go see the pretty parts of Norway," said Jake.

**Before you criticize me for making Nemesis lose, keep in mind that Sherry helped. Mr. X was gonna lose to Nemesis, but it was only because of Sherry's aid that Mr. X won. I don't exactly have a clear understanding of Nemesis' full strength in his first form (honestly, I really hope there is a Resident Evil 3 remake), other than he's strong and he's fast. Also, this isn't Raccoon City, so it makes no sense for him to say "S.T.A.R.S." even if it's tempting fan service. This is a new Nemesis.**

**Well, that ends the first parts of each "campaign" and each part had a boss fight. Leon and Claire fought a T-Virus polar bear. Chris and Jill fought an Uroboros monster. And now, Sherry and Jake have fought Nemesis (but as Sherry said, it will not be the last they see of him).**

**Again, please forgive me if I did anything wrong with Nemesis. It's hard for me to follow the older games because of the 90s graphics. It's only been less than a year than I finally became interested in this franchise, having to go from the RE2 remake and look back to almost everything before it.**

**So, what do you think of this chapter?**


	9. Another Important Question

**Where to even begin with apologizing about abandoning this story?**

**My top excuse is my commitment to a passion project in another archive. My other excuse is I was juggling too many stories during a school year and while I was writing the aforementioned passion project. But with the Resident Evil 3 Remake now out, I'm in a RE craze now, which has motivated me to return to this story... plus, I'm in quarantine and I have no other stories in mind to write (well, I had another one, but it's complicated). Also, I had a brief retirement that made me lose a lot of steam (for writing).**

**Once again, to anyone who read this story, I am so sorry. Anyways, enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to give a long overdue thanks to the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: evolution-500, theBlindEye, Belleredfield, APM620925**

**_To theBlindEye_: I didn't forget. Nemesis' introduction in this story was strictly meant to be a battle of fists with Mr. X. Don't worry. Nemesis will have his signature rocket launcher next time.**

**_To Belleredfield_: Thank you for your response to the Nemesis vs. Mr. X fight. I was worried about angering people since Nemesis is the clearly superior Tyrant.**

After escaping the new Umbrella's Antarctic facility, Leon and Claire make their way to Paris, France, where Ada Wong is believed to be meeting someone important. After a lot of hitchhiking and a plane ride, they finally made it to France. They "borrow" a couple of motorcycles and ride them all the way to Paris. They stop at a hotel and rest there. The intel they picked up in Antarctica says that Ada's meeting place is just across the street, so they can just wait there and look out the window. Leon, however, has been doing nothing else but look out the window since they booked a room.

"You really care about this Ada chick, don't you?" Claire started.

Leon just sighs. He doesn't really want to talk about this with Claire.

"Look, I don't know Ada like you do, but she seems to be the type to care more about what she wants, even if she does care about you," said Claire.

"You're not too far off, actually," said Leon.

"Leon," Claire said with a strict tone. "You asked me a very important question a few days ago. You gave me the impression that you want our relationship to be... different. But now I have an important question for you. Is Ada Wong really the one you want?"

"You think I would've have asked you if I had no reason?" Leon replied. His voice broke a bit there.

"18 years. You've known her for that long, and you sound like you still want her," said Claire.

"What I want is to stop the new Umbrella from causing any more trouble," Leon said defensively. "Whatever Ada has to do with this, we either save her or not."

"And what if she leaves you no choice?" asked Claire. "What if we end up in a position where you... or her... or me... one of us has to pull the trigger."

"Claire, there is no way in hell I'm letting that happen," said Leon. "I don't know what's gonna happen when we see Ada, but I want all of us to make out of this alive and unscathed... even if it may seem impossible."

"At least you're readying yourself," said Claire. "But, Leon, just so you know, I can't answer your question if you can't answer mine first."

Leon looked away for a second, but he turned back to her and said, "I understand."

Claire gets back to checking on their weapons (which they snuck into the hotel, somehow). Leon just stands by the window, only he's looking at Claire, not outside. Once again, he's beating himself up for that stunt he pulled a few days go. Asking her if she wanted that first date. _Why did I ask her? _Leon remembered why. He said that he was tired of not being serious. And Ada... she's a big reason for that. Despite how he feels about Ada, Leon asked Claire that question out of genuine feelings he felt for her. Question now is, if they see Ada, can he make up his mind?

Leon thinks Claire can't see him watching her. He's wrong. She pretends not to notice. She can't look at him without making him think he did something, so she can only guess what he must be thinking. He clearly cares about this Ada person a lot. He met her in Raccoon City and something clearly happened between them. It's been almost 20 years and he still sounds attached. Claire wonders why Leon would ask her about a first date if he is still hung up on another woman. "Maybe I'm tired of not being serious," he said to her at the airport. Maybe...

* * *

Across the street from the hotel where Leon and Claire are staying, watching from her window is Ada Wong herself. Her window is mostly covered with a curtain so they can't see her, but she can see them. She can't hear them, but Ada can see them using a small telescope she has. Leon looks moody, as usual, and she can give two reasons as to why. One, he's thinking about her. Two, it's about Claire. The look on Claire's face gives of a disappointed or worried vibe, not that Ada can blame her for feeling either way.

Ada's phone rings. The caller is unidentified. She answers anyway.

_"I take it you're in Paris now," said the caller._

"Been here for a few hours," said Ada.

_"Did anyone follow you here?" asked the caller._

"Not that I know of," Ada lied.

_"I hope you're as keen as ever, Ms. Wong," said the caller._

"Hey, this isn't our first dance, remember?" Ada reminded.

_"I would hate it to be our last, since you've proven to be both problematic and sufficient," said the caller. "I'll see you when I can."_

"I got all day," said Ada. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

The nighttime arrives. Leon and Claire saw Ada walking into the hotel across the street, prompting them to take action. They sneak out of the hotel, armed, and enter the next hotel from the back. They had to sneak around personnel in order to get into the security room to temporarily disable the cameras. That way, whoever is meeting with Ada can't hack into the security. Having used the security cameras earlier, they figured out that Ada took the elevator to the top floor, to the penthouse.

"It's a shame, though," Claire spoke suddenly. "Paris. City of Love. Could've been the perfect place for a first date."

"That's a bit corny, don't you think?" Leon commented.

"Maybe, but I guess that's part of the cruelty of it," said Claire. "Perfect opportunities ruined by unwanted circumstances."

"Bumping into each other at the airport is perfect?" Leon questioned humorously. "Sounds like something out of a cheesy rom-com."

"Yeah, but it's perfect in my book," said Claire. "Get rid of the zombies and the new Umbrella, and it would have been completely perfect."

"Almost 20 years," Leon said sadly. "A lot of stuff could've happened. Things could've been different. Yet, here we are, wondering why nothing did happen."

"I may not be ready to answer your question, but I will admit, I wonder about it a lot," Claire admitted.

The two anti-bioterrorism vets stare at each other with soft smiles... until the elevator bell rang, meaning that they've made it to the floor where they are getting off. It's the floor beneath the penthouse. That's because the penthouse can only be accessed through the current owner's key card or permission from the current owner. Leon and Claire are breaking into the penthouse via the balcony.

Having booked a room and gained a key card, they enter their new apartment and quickly head outside.

"Do you hear anything?" asked Claire.

"No," said Leon. "We need to get a closer look. Here, I'll help you up."

Leon gives Claire a boost, allowing her to climb to the balcony of the penthouse. Leon finds another way around, even if it's the long way up. Claire manages to pull herself over the railing and hide behind a conveniently placed topiary. Leon finds himself on the other side of the balcony, hiding behind a corner. They draw their guns and try to stay as quiet as they can.

So far, all they can see is Ada sitting on the couch, sipping on some fine wine.

Claire looks at Leon and non-verbally asks if they should move in. Leon nods for a yes. Claire tries to stay out of Ada's peripheral vision as she reaches the clear glass door leading inside.

Leon hides behind the corner for a moment, trying to think of a way to sneak in. His path doesn't have any objects for him to hide behind. However, something did catch his eye. On the roof, right above Claire, is a person in a dark trench coat wearing a mask. It looks like he's about to attack Claire.

"Claire!" Leon shouted.

Both Claire and Ada are alerted. The masked man jumps down from below and grabs Claire. Claire pistol-whips the man in the face, only to get thrown to the floor. Claire tries to shoot this masked man, but - to her shock - he dodges her bullets like he has super speed or something. He kicks the gun out of her hands and pulls her up, putting her in between himself and Leon.

"Let her go!" Leon demanded.

"How about you let go of the gun, Mr. Kennedy," the masked man said with a disguised voice.

Claire tries to elbow the masked man, but he reacts quickly to this attack and holds Claire in a choke hold to force her to cease resisting. As for Ada, she slowly walks out with the glass of wine still in her hand.

"Ms. Wong," the masked man greeted.

"You're ten minutes late," said Ada.

"Ada!" Leon called.

"Trying to sneak up on me, Leon? Smart, but not smart enough," said Ada.

"Ada, please, don't let him hurt her," Leon pleaded.

"You shouldn't be worried about just her," said the masked man.

While keeping the one arm around Claire's throat, the masked man takes out a remote control and pushes it. All of a sudden, Ada's phone starts shocking her system like some kind of taser, only more dangerous. She falls down and is stuck in a near motionless state due to the shocking.

"You're a convincing liar, Ms. Wong, but you should know better than to lie to me," said the masked man. "The reason I was late is because I knew Leon and Claire would follow you."

"Let them go!" Leon insisted.

"No, you have one choice, Mr. Kennedy," said the masked man. "Save one of them and let the other die. Who is it going to be? The woman you've desired for so long, or your fellow Raccoon City survivor? You have ten seconds or I terminate them both."

The masked man has Claire's gun in one hand pointing at the redhead's chin and a device on the other hand that can end Ada's life with a push of a button. Leon could shoot the device, but the masked man anticipated that and hid the device behind his back.

"Leon, shoot him!" Claire shouted.

"I would advice against that," said the masked man. "The second you pull that trigger, I'll make sure Ms. Redfield is caught in your line of fire."

"What do you expect me to do?" Leon asked angrily.

"Put down the gun, take the sample that Ms. Wong stole from the Antarctic base, and give it to me," said the masked man. "Understand that choosing Ada Wong will mean I pull the trigger."

"And Claire?" asked Leon.

"Throw the gun away and I push the button," said the masked man. "The countdown starts now."

Leon's hands shake as he struggles to choose. No matter what he does, either Claire or Ada die, and he doesn't want any of that. But the clock is ticking. They'll both die if he doesn't make a choice. Claire or Ada? _What am I supposed to do?!_

"Leon, you can't let him get away with that sample," said Claire.

"No, I'm not letting your brother down," said Leon.

"This is about you and me," Claire protested.

"Three seconds," the masked man warned.

"Shut up!" Claire shouted.

Leon shouts with anguish as he pulls the trigger. To everyone's surprise, he shoots the glass door, shattering it to pieces. With the masked man's head turned, Leon quickly shoots him in the leg. Claire elbows the masked man in the mask, takes her gun back, whacks him across the face with it, and kicks him down. Claire tries to shoot him again, but the masked man once again dodges her bullets. The masked figure swipes the stolen sample from Ada before running away. Leon and Claire's shots hit nothing but concrete and metal.

"Dammit," Claire cursed.

"Ada!" Leon cried.

Leon quickly checks on Ada, who is still on her back and in pain from the shock. Fortunately, the masked man dropped the device controlling Ada's phone when Claire kicked him down. However, Ada can barely move and stay awake, but she's still alive, much to Leon's relief.

"You had me going there, Leon," Ada said weakly but snidely. "Any lower and that bullet would've hit me."

"You know I would never do that," said Leon.

After a weak chuckle, Ada says, "I guess you're smarter than we expected."

"Don't talk. Just rest," said Leon.

Leon carries Ada bridal style and takes her back inside the penthouse. He gently puts her down back on the couch so she can rest and recover. Claire, meanwhile, watches from the distance. This is the first time where she sees just how Leon truly looks at Ada. The way he stared into her eyes as he lifted her off the ground, it was very telling. If being in Paris is a signal for something more, it may not be something for her.

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Ada fell asleep for a while. She woke up nearly an hour later, only to find herself no longer in the penthouse. Instead, she's in some sort of storage room. She's not alone. Leon and Claire are with her. They were both alert, seemingly trying to make sure no finds them.

"Ada, you're awake," Leon noticed. "You okay?"

"It's just a shock. Just shake it off," Ada shrugged. "Care to explain why I'm not resting on a comfy couch?"

"People heard the gunshots and called security," Leon answered. "We had to leave the penthouse before we got caught."

"Okay, Ms. Wong, now that you're awake, I believe you owe us some answers," Claire said seriously.

"Don't you know it's rude to talk to a recovering patient in such a rude manner?" Ada replied in a condescending manner.

"You left us behind back in Antarctica. I don't exactly have a good reason to go easy on you, even if you and Leon knew each other for, like, forever," said Claire.

"Claire, please," Leon pleaded.

"It's just a couple of simple questions," Claire interrupted. "What did you steal, Ada? And why did that masked gut want it? And who is that masked guy?"

"The sample I stole contained an antibody," Ada answered. "It's linked to some kind of virus that duplicates cell matter. I didn't ask what the antibody does, but from my calculations, it can be used to stabilize the duplication process."

"Duplication of what?" asked Leon.

"Now that is still a mystery I haven't solved," said Ada. "But obviously my client wanted it to stabilize whatever cloning experiment he's up to, if it's even something involving cloning. As for who he is, I didn't ask either. He does remind me of someone, though."

"Who?" asked Claire.

"But, no, it can't be," Ada muttered.

"Ada, no more games," Claire warned.

"Claire, seriously, ease up," Leon pleaded firmly.

"No, I won't, Leon," said Claire. "I don't care if she's your soulmate. She's involved. She could be that masked woman at the airport for all we know."

"She's hurt right now. We shouldn't apply too much pressure," said Leon.

"Look, I could sit here and watch you two argue like a married couple, but I have to get going," said Ada.

"Oh, not letting that happen. We made sure you're unarmed for when you wake up," said Claire.

Ada's gear is placed on a crate on the other side of the room. Claire is clearly not gonna let Ada so much as get off the bed to reclaim her stuff. Ada is starting to admire Claire's ferocity for sure. It must be one of the things Leon likes about the younger Redfield sibling.

"So, what, am I supposed to just team up with you two?" asked Ada.

"If it means we can keep an eye on you, yes," said Claire.

"In that case, we might want to head for Chicago," said Ada.

"Chicago? Why?" asked Claire.

"Chicago is Ground Zero for Operation: Raccoon," Ada answered. "I may have been eavesdropping and/or hacking in Antarctica. The new Umbrella want to recreate Raccoon City as a message to the world. Chicago is where it's all taking place."

"Ugh, shit," Claire cursed.

"No, not again," said Leon. "When?"

"A couple days or so, unless they haven't rescheduled," said Ada.

"Then we're heading for Chicago first thing tomorrow," said Leon. "First things first, we need to get out of this hotel and onto the one across the street."

"Do you want me to stay in another room so you and Ada can share one?" Claire teased.

Leon glares at Claire. Ada just told them that Chicago is about to get the Raccoon City treatment, and she's here making romantic jokes. Claire raises her hand in embarrassment, ashamed of her attitude.

"But, Ada, just please promise me one thing," said Leon. "We stick together. I don't like the idea of you being on your own with a target on your back. I know you can handle yourself, but this is as much your problem as it is ours. You helped them."

"Perhaps I did," said Ada. "Besides, I owe you for the airport."

"So that was you!" Claire exclaimed. "Anyone who pays, huh?"

"Disappointed?" Ada questioned.

"Let's just say I don't see us going to the spa together," said Claire. "I'll pack up Ada's gear. I'm keeping it away from her, even if I have to stay in a separate room."

While Claire packs up Ada's belongings, Leon looks at Ada with a worried expression on what Ada would call his cute little face. She finds it cute that he worries, even if she doesn't need him to. Then again, when she was injured back in Raccoon City, she said to herself, "Where's Leon when I need him?" As much as she hated to admit, she didn't mind leaning against him and him against her.

"Your ex doesn't like me," said Ada.

"She's not my... she's just..." Leon stammered.

Ada chuckles again and says, "Still the same old Leon. No matter how broody you get, you still show signs of that naive rookie cop I met in Raccoon."

"I'd think twice about calling me naive," said Leon.

"You're right. You've clearly grown," said Ada.

"I can hardly say the same for you," said Leon.

"Would you like it if I do?" Ada asked flirtatiously.

"Question, would you like it if you do?" Leon replied.

"Someone sounds tired," said Ada.

"Maybe I am," Leon said with an unrelenting tone.

Leon walks away from Ada in order to get some space. He stands in a corner, away from both the girls. Everything around him is just making him question his feelings even more. Ada accepted a job with this new Umbrella. She was the lady in the mask at the airport. She captured both him and Claire for Umbrella. And what for? For money? For the thrill? For the sake of toying with him? As much as he didn't like how Claire acted towards Ada, he couldn't blame her. For almost two decades, he and Ada have been playing this cat-and-mouse game, going from teaming up to fighting each other to helping each other so many times that he's... tired.

"Maybe I am," he repeated to himself.

**Well, it looks like Ada is gonna be coming along for the ride. Some trip to Paris this has been, huh? More time for Claire to get to know Ada and for me to further test how I write Leon and Ada's dynamic. It's not my favorite test. I'm more comfortable with Cleon (this story is pretty much proof of it), but Leon/Ada is a test I'm willing to take.**

**How long has it been since I've updated? Nine months, I think. I never thought I'd be back here, but here I am. And this is what I've written in my comeback. No zombies/bioweapons here, I'm afraid. Then again, this was always more of a character-driven story, not a chapter of the walking dead. What do you think? Feel free to let me know. Again, honest feedback is always appreciated.**

**For the next chapter, we'll be back to Chris and Jill. There's a little cliffhanger/mystery that I teased the last time we checked on our favorite BSAA agents.**


	10. An Old Nemesis

**And we're back. Two chapters in two days. WOO-HOO!**

**This time, let's check on Chris and Jill. Last time we saw them, they got intel from Jessica Sherawat about something that causes them to panic and hurry over to their old friend Barry's. What will they find? Read, enjoy, and find out.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following user(s) for reviewing the previous chapter: Guest**

**_To Guest_: Believe me, this story is my dream Resident Evil game. Granted, it could use less action genre ****explosions (but that's my fault as the writer), but it would be a dream come true if there was a quality RE game based on my story.**

**_To evolution-500_: Not even close.**

As soon as they read the info that Jessica shared with them, Chris and Jill make it top priority to head over to Barry Burton's house. They tried to contact him, but for some reason, he's not responding, which only made them even more worried. They called the BSAA for aerial transportation. After a little walk to the nearest town from where they crashed and night of rest, Chris and Jill are picked up by a helicopter. They immediately head straight for Barry's.

"In plain sight and he never would have noticed," Chris said with anger and worry.

"Let's just hope we get to him in time, Chris," said Jill.

"But that means we won't be meeting Leon and Claire in Paris," said Chris.

"Chris," Jill scolded.

"I know. I know. They can take care of themselves and each other," said Chris. "I just hope they're both still okay when we find them."

"Worry about them later. Right now, it's Barry and his family we have to worry about," said Jill.

"I'd honestly hate to see his reaction," said Chris. "He doesn't deserve this. No one does."

"It's never our fault, Chris," said Jill. "But we can't control what our enemies do. We can only try to stop them. It won't be easy breaking this down to Barry, but he deserves to know. His family deserves to know, for their safety..."

"Incoming RPG!" The pilot shouted.

Just as Chris and Jill reacted, the helicopter's tail rotor is hit by a rocket-propelled explosive. This causes the helicopter to start spinning and descending from the sky. Ain't this a familiar feeling...

"Again?! This is the second crash-landing today!" Chris complained.

"Well, let's make this the second time we survive a crash-landing today," Jill added.

Unfortunately, another rocket-propelled explosive hits the helicopter, this time, right on the main rotors. The helicopter is spinning and dropping too fast for them to grab their parachutes. The pilot gets thrown out of his seat and out of the aerial vehicle.

"Dammit!" Jill shouted.

Not wanting to see another innocent die, Jill grabs onto her seat tightly as she grabs the nearest parachute. She kicks the door open and jumps out, much to Chris' shock. As she falls, Jill changes her direction towards the pilot. Jill reaches out and grabs his arm. She then activates her parachute so she and the pilot can land safely. However, another RPG heads their way, and they're falling too slow to avoid it.

Suddenly, a bullet hits the RPG, causing it to explode before it could hit Jill and the pilot. It was Chris, who has jumped out of the helicopter and opened his parachute.

The three hit the ground just seconds later. _That was too close_, they all thought. Had they waited any longer, they would've had a rougher landing, be it in the helicopter or jumping out.

"What tried to hit us?" Jill wondered.

"Whoever it is, it's big, it's ugly, and it's got a rocket launcher," said the pilot, who looked the other way.

"Rocket launcher?" Jill reacted. "Wait..."

Jill and Chris turn to where the pilot is looking. Coming out under the shade of a tree is a familiar face... familiar to Jill. That mutated face. The torn-up black clothing that covered its exterior ugliness. The rocket launcher it holds tightly in its hand.

"Nemesis?" Jill was beyond shocked.

"That's Nemesis?" asked Chris. "This new Umbrella really wants to resurrect the past."

"Sherry!" Nemesis growled.

"Sherry?" Jill questioned. "If it's after Sherry, why is it here?"

"They knew we were going to get Barry," said Chris. "And I guess the P30 isn't the only thing from your past they wanted to show you again."

Jill looks at the pilot and asks, "What's your name?"

"Aron," the pilot answered.

"Aron, get yourself somewhere safe and call the BSAA. Tell them, Nemesis is here," Jill ordered. "And tell them to bring heavy artillery, just in case."

Aron runs away as ordered, leaving Chris and Jill alone against Nemesis. All Chris has is a handgun and a grenade. All Jill has is a grenade launcher and a pistol. Regardless, they're prepared to stand their ground right here.

"What do we do?" asked Chris.

"Unfortunately, we don't have a rail gun," said Jill. "We can't kill it, but it can be weakened. We just have to bring it down to its knees long enough for us to get to Barry. That's gonna take a lot, though."

"Hey, we're in this together," said Chris. "You and me, like always."

"Like always," Jill smiled.

Nemesis makes the first move. He first a rocket at the two. Jill and Chris jump in opposite directions to avoid getting blown up. Jill loads her weapon with an explosive round and fires, hitting Nemesis. It barely staggered him, though.

Chris tries shooting with his handgun, but the bullets have no effect on Nemesis. Nemesis fires a rocket at Chris, but he dodges it. Nemesis quickly charges at Chris and tries to bludgeon him with his rocket launcher, but Chris uses his grenade to escape Nemesis.

As Nemesis quickly recovers from the grenade, he gets hit by another explosive round from Jill. She aims for his head and fires another explosive round, causing him to drop on one knee. Temporarily, though.

While Nemesis is down, Chris stands next to Jill so they can formulate a plan together.

"I think I have an idea," said Jill.

"I'm all ears," said Chris.

"We both draw fire. We find an opening. I hit his rocket launcher just as he fires. That should mess him up," said Jill. "You in?"

"I'm in," Chris agreed.

Chris and Jill split up as they fire several bullets at Nemesis. They know it won't work, but they have to overwhelm his attention. He has two targets and he can't focus on both of them at the same time. Nemesis fires a rocket at Chris, but he uses a tree as a shield. With Nemesis back turned, Jill shoots him in the back with a flame round, setting him on fire. Nemesis turns around, only to get hit in the face with an explosive round.

"I've only got one round left," Jill counted. "Gotta save it for the final blow."

Chris keeps running around and shooting to distract Nemesis. Nemesis decides to walk up to Chris and throws a punch, which Chris barely dodges. Nemesis grabs Chris by the leg and throws him towards a car. Nemesis charges once again with his rocket launcher as a bludgeoning tool. Chris rolls out of the way, causing Nemesis to total the car with his rocket launcher. However, Chris couldn't avoid the next swing, which hits him right across the face. Nemesis grabs Chris by the head and throws him at another car. Chris tries to move, but he's too hurt to do it quickly.

Nemesis raises his rocket launcher and aims it at Chris. Just as he was about to fire, a flame round hits his rocket launcher. The collision of the flame round with the rocket inside the launcher causes the weapon to explode and engulf Nemesis in flames. Nemesis drops on both knees, feeling very weakened.

"Not enough for you?" Jill taunted. "Well, then let me help."

Jill runs towards Nemesis as fast as she can, jumps off two feet, and kicks Nemesis hard in the face with a drop kick. Nemesis falls on his back and stays down, on fire.

"Is it bad that I may want to keep the P30?" Jill joked.

"C'mon, let's move. He won't stay down for long," said Chris.

"Barry's house isn't too far from here," said Jill. "But we can't just run there. We need wheels."

"I got wheels," said someone.

It was a citizen spectating the fight. He was offering the keys to his car. After telling the man to leave the area, Jill and Chris drive as fast as they can towards Barry's house. Nemesis, meanwhile, just lies down there, in flames.

His fingers, however, start to twitch.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Chris and Jill pull up right at Barry's house. The front door was slightly open. Holding their guns tightly in their hands, Chris and Jill slowly enter the house, expecting a fight or something. What they found instead is a house that is in serious need of a clean-up. Tables have been flipped on their side or upside down. Shattered plates and cups. Bullet holes on the walls, ceiling, and floor. A few drops of blood. There was a fight here, and they didn't make it here in time to take part in it.

"Dammit," Jill cursed. "We're too late."

"Keep looking. We might find something," said Chris.

The two search the house for any signs of Barry or his family or anything else that might tell them what happened here. Jill finds a phone on the kitchen floor. The screen is shattered slightly. She turns it on and finds a recorded video. She can see the face of Barry's oldest daughter Moira on the screen.

"What did you find?" asked Chris.

"Moira's phone. There's a recorded video in it," Jill answered.

Jill plays the video. Moira looks like she's panicking. She's running. She huddles up in a corner and looks at her phone. She's definitely distressed and afraid, which only makes Chris and Jill even more worried about what happened.

_"This is Moira Burton, daughter of BSAA agent Barry Burton," Moira started. "We're under attack by a bad man. My Dad wouldn't tell me who he is. He just told me to run. He and this bad guy are upstairs right now. They're messing up the house and hurting our family. Okay... uh... description-description-description... black trench coat like some bad guy from the movies. A pair of dark shades. Can move fast like a superhuman. Dodges bullets like nothing. Super strong, as well. He flipped a table with one hand no problem. The reason I'm recording this is because this fucker's jamming communications. I don't know what to do. This is all I can think of..."_

A loud noise upstairs causes Moira to jump. She decides to stop recording.

"Jill, doesn't all this sound familiar to you?" asked Chris.

"But it can't be _him_, can it?" Jill replied. "No, this must be some Umbrella-type witchcraft."

"But we do have evidence of the other problem," said Chris. "We need to search this whole house, just in case."

"And fast. Nemesis could be awake right now, if not five minutes ago," said Jill.

Jill searches upstairs while Chris continues sweeping the first floor. Jill checks the bedrooms. There's no one in any of them. Just like the rest of downstairs, the bedrooms are a mess from all the fighting that supposedly took place here. Bullet holes, blood, and stuff scattered everywhere. Jill opens Moira's cabinet and she finds...

"Barry?!" Jill exclaimed.

It's Barry, along with his wife Kathy and his two daughters Moira and Polly. They were all tied up and their mouths are taped shut.

"Chris!" Jill called. "I found Barry, and he's alive!"

Chris hurries upstairs and sees Jill untying Barry and his family. He helps her. They carefully remove the tape from their mouths. Jill lightly smacks Barry in the face to wake him up. He's responding.

"Nat... Natal... Natalia," Barry rambled.

"Natalia? Where's Natalia?" Jill asked, having realized that Natalia is nowhere to be found.

"Wesk... Wesker... Wesker," Barry continued. His head's still fuzzy.

"Shh, shh, we know," said Jill.

"Ugh... my head... wait, Jill?" Barry finally noticed. "And Chris?"

Kathy, Moira, and Polly were finally waking up as well, much to Barry's relief. Just like Barry, they were all feeling a little woozy. It's as if they were hit on the head before going unconscious, which they probably were.

"What the fuck?" Moira wondered.

"Not in front of my friends, missy," Barry scolded.

"Jill and Claire? They're here?" asked Moira.

Moira's vision clears up and she sees two of her father's closest friends.

"Oh, hi," Moira greeted. "I'm Moira. Nice to meet you. Dad's told me a lot about you, and I mean _a lot_. Arklay, Raccoon, etc."

"Wait, where's Natalia?" asked Kathy.

"Barry, what happened?" asked Jill.

"Wesker," Barry said again. "It was Wesker."

"So, wait, do you know about Alex Wesker?" asked Chris.

"Wait, what?" Barry replied, confused. "Alex Wesker is dead. No, I'm talking about the Wesker we knew and hated. Albert Wesker."

Jill and Chris look at each other with confused looks. Moira's description of the attacker sounded suspicious, but they knew it was impossible that it would be who the description reminded them of.

"Barry, Albert Wesker is dead," said Jill.

"No, no, he was here," Barry insisted. "That sunglasses-wearing bastard broke in here and attacked me and my family."

"Barry, are you sure?" asked Chris.

"Look, I don't know what I saw. All I know is it was tall, dark, and fast, and it had Wesker's face," said Barry. "I tried to fight him... but he was too fast... too strong."

Barry holds his mid-section in pain. He must've gotten hit really hard in the gut.

"Wesker took Natalia," Chris guessed.

"What, but why?" asked Moira. "What does that piece of shit want with Natalia?"

"A new Umbrella has arrived, and they're both targeting and bringing back their past," said Jill. "Natalia was a test subject of Alex Wesker for the T-Phobos virus. What happened because of that, it's why you and your family were in danger, Barry."

"Wait, what's this about She-Wesker?" asked Barry. "You don't believe me that Albert Wesker was here, but I'm having a hard time believing you that his monster of a sister is back."

"Barry, you need to look at this," said Jill.

Chris and Jill show Barry an important file in their BSAA phones. The file in it contained information on Natalia. From T-Phobos virus to her history with Alex Wesker. But what shocked Barry was the truth.

"Alex Wesker succeeded. Natalia is not Natalia anymore. It's been Alex Wesker the whole time," said Jill.

"Wait, so you're saying that the whole mind-switch shit worked?" asked Moira. "We brought a murderous psycho into our home and we never knew it?!"

"No, no it can't be," Barry said in denial.

"I wish it wasn't the truth, Barry, but this information is no lie," said Jill. "I'm sorry."

"Wesker. He came here to retrieve his sister," Barry realized.

"That still doesn't explain... how is Albert Wesker alive?" Chris wondered.

"Why don't we ask him after we find his sorry ass?" Barry replied angrily.

Barry gets up, ready to go out there, only to drop because his body is still in pain. Chris helps Barry on the bed so he can rest.

"Barry, you can't go out there like this," said Chris. "I can tell that Wesker or whoever it was did a number on you."

It wasn't just the injured ribs. Barry had bruises on his face and arms, and his left eye was turning black. No matter how hard he fought to protect his family, the intruder got the best of him.

"Natalia is She-Wesker... this whole fucking time," Moira said, horrified.

Kathy and Polly start to cry because of this revelation. Moira slides her back on the wall and sits down, unable to accept the truth. Barry, too. Chris said he didn't want to see Barry's reaction, but he deserved to know.

"I'm really sorry, Barry," Chris apologized. "Look, let's just get..."

Chris is interrupted by a beastly roar coming from outside the house. The sound of hard wood breaking could be heard downstairs. Chris and Jill know exactly who just broke in.

"Nemesis," said Jill.

"Neme... what?" Moira questioned.

"Out the window!" Chris insisted. "Jill, keep Nemesis busy."

Chris opens the window and instructs Barry and his family to climb outside. Getting Barry out of the window was the hard part, as he was still in bad shape. Chris and Moira try to be as careful as they can with helping Barry down to the ground. Fortunately, there was a bench on the porch they can jump on for a safe landing.

Jill, meanwhile, runs downstairs and sees that it is indeed Nemesis who broke into the house. He looks a bit charred, obviously due to their recent fight. He's just kicking and throwing things around to find her and Chris.

"Hey, don't you know it's rude to break into other people's houses?" Jill started.

Nemesis goes for a punch, which Jill dodges by rolling to the right. Nemesis goes for another punch, but Jill ducks. Nemesis' fist hits the wall instead. Jill knows that her pistol won't do much against Nemesis, and she remembers that she ran out of ammo for her grenade launcher. There has to be another way, she thought. Dodging Nemesis' next punch, Jill tumbles into the kitchen and sees something that can help. The stove. Looking pass Nemesis, Jill sees that Chris has helped Barry and his family out to safety.

"Sorry, Barry," Jill apologized in advance.

Jill turns on all burners on the stove to the max. She grabs a bottle of oil, removes the lid, and places it in the very center of the stove. Jill sees Nemesis walking towards her, so she dives through his legs. His punch misses her, again. Nemesis turns around, only to get another drop kick to the face by Jill. Nemesis stumbles backwards and hits the stove.

"I don't know about you, but I'm gonna miss these powers when I lose them," said Jill.

Grabbing a box of matches that she found, she lights up one of them and throws it at the oil bottle on the stove. Jill quickly runs out of the building, where Chris is along with Barry and his the Burtons.

"Uh, Ms. Valentine, can I just say... that was amazing!" Moira cheered, having witnessed Jill's super strength and super speed through the windows.

"Run!" Jill ordered.

Everyone starts running as far away as they can from the house. Suddenly, there was an explosion. Fortunately, everyone was far enough to not be affected by the blast. Unfortunately, the Burton house is now even more destroyed than it was a few minutes ago.

"Sorry, Barry," Jill apologized. "If it helps, the BSAA will cover the damages... or buy you a new house."

"Appreciated," Barry replied. "And thanks."

"We have to move. That thing's gonna get back up soon," said Chris.

Chris and Jill get into the car they borrowed. The entire Burton family quickly get into the family car and follow Chris and Jill. They drove fast so they can get as far away as possible from Nemesis.

Speaking of Nemesis...

Five minutes after the explosion, Nemesis walks right out of the flames. He's more charred than before, but he still looks like he's in good shape.

**I am not doing so well on Nemesis, am I? A character like Nemesis is so unfairly strong that it's so hard for me to write fight scenes about him. I added the rocket launcher, but that's the best I can do for now. But what about you? What do you think of the Nemesis fight scenes in this chapter? Please let me know. I need to know if I need to do better. It won't be until the Mr. X vs. Nemesis rematch when I feel more confident in writing Nemesis fight scenes.**

**And now more cards are on the table. Resident Evil Revelations 2's story makes its presence known here. Natalia. Alex Wesker. I've been waiting so long to get to this point. SO long.**


	11. Adapt and Adjust

**Okay, back to Sherry and Jake... and Mr. X. I've been focusing a lot on Mr. X in this story (see title of story for the reason), but I have yet to focus on Sherry and Jake's bond. Cleon and Valenfield aren't the only ships in this story, people. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for the most recent reviews: Belleredfield, Scarease, evolution-500**

**_To Belleredfield_: I couldn't just make Leon get over Ada so quickly. I try to make sure the characters stay (mostly) in character. Leon has to go through the process of making up his mind and knowing what his heart wants. Next time we see Leon and Claire, I'll try to make even more progress on Leon's feelings.**

Sherry and Jake need a place to sleep for the night. Unable to get aerial transportation because of Mr. X, they settle for an abandoned storage warehouse. From gas stations to apartment complexes, it has been traveling around Norway for the past few days with a near-8-foot-tall Tyrant to hide from the public. At least no one is using this warehouse, so they should be able to sleep just fine. Mr. X still has to be hidden somewhere, for the sake of being careful. Fortunately, the warehouse has a big metal container.

While Jake checks on the metal container, Sherry's attention is caught by a piano in the corner. The piano is her favorite instrument. The government was nice enough to provide her with one to play while she was growing up in custody.

"I don't know if you can understand, X, but... I grew up as a prisoner of the government," said Sherry. "They kept me locked up because I was a loose end, but I had a friend who kept me safe. His name is Leon. He and this other girl, Claire, they saved me from a viral outbreak in Raccoon City. Claire left to find her brother, but Leon took care of me. I was only 12 and I thought of him as a father figure. He was young enough to be my older brother, but I had just lost my parents and I guess I was desperate for parental attention. Hell, I outright told Leon and Claire that I wish they could adopt me. Regardless, Leon looked after me the best way he can. Claire visited me in custody a fair amount of times. They both still blame themselves for not being able to do more for me, but to be honest, I'm proud of them for what they could do for me."

Jake was listening to the whole thing. He already knows Sherry's story, but it was still sad to hear it again. Jake knew he had a rough upbringing, but Sherry had to live like a prisoner for over a decade.

"Before Claire left me and Leon, one of the things we did together was learn how to play the piano together," said Sherry. "Leon was so awful that we laughed. Claire wasn't any better, though. Me, well, I was a fast learner. Here, let me show you."

Sherry finds a seat and starts playing the piano. She plays the song, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Jake stands (not too) close to Mr. X as he listens to Sherry play. She's no expert, but what she can do with a piano was beautiful enough. Mr. X looks like he's paying attention, as his head is moving in correspondence with the tune.

"She's nice. She's a fighter. And she's talented. You're lucky to have Super Girl by your side, X," said Jake.

Mr. X looks down at Jake and... nods. Jake further wonders just how much Mr. X can understand. He decides to just go along with it.

"Well, he has you, too, Jake," said Sherry.

"Hey, whoa, he's your pet, not mine," said Jake.

"Don't call him that," said Sherry.

"Guard dog?" Jake asked.

Sherry rolls her eyes. She decides to stop playing and proceeds to help Mr. X into the metal container. He has to stay in there until morning. There's no such thing as being too careful, as some people would say.

"Sleep tight, X," said Sherry.

Sherry closes the container, leaving Mr. X to sleep... however he does it.

"What exactly are you planning to do with him after we're done?" asked Jake. "I mean, no offense, but you can't just take him everywhere you go."

"We'll figure that out when it's over," said Sherry. "Right now, I'm still trying to understand him. How human can he be? That's what I'm trying to learn."

"Well, he killed his creator. I guess you're the next best expert on this," said Jake.

"Let's just get a good night sleep," said Sherry. "We have to find a way to get out of this country. It's been days and we're not making progress. Plus, who knows how long until Umbrella catches up to us?"

Sherry looks around for a comfortable spot to sleep in. Fortunately, there's a few mattresses here. Not that comfortable, but it beats sleeping on the floor. Jake was unusually quiet, but he decides to talk to Sherry about one more thing.

"Don't you ever wish things were different?" Jake asked. "With your life, I meant."

"You don't have to pity me, Jake. I know I had it rough, but I adapted to it," said Sherry. "But... yeah. I do wonder a lot if things could've been different."

"Redhead Redfield and Kennedy adopting you?" Jake teased.

"In an ideal world, I guess so," Sherry joked back. "But the world isn't so friendly, you know. You just have to adjust, adapt, make use of what's been given to you. Sure, I spent years looking up to a man like Simmons, only to find out that he's a monster, but I've moved past that. And don't forget about yourself. From a mercenary to a good Samaritan character, kinda."

"Yeah, well, I guess I... uh..." Jake paused. He looked embarrassed.

"What is it?" asked Sherry.

Jake tried to look away, but Sherry would just look at him in the eye to get him to talk.

"I guess I have you to thank," said Jake. "It wasn't just knowing about my father. That was half the reason. The other is, well... I can't believe I'm saying this, but... it's you."

"I just wanted to help you," said Sherry.

"And you did," Jake admitted.

"There. Doesn't that feel better?" Sherry teased.

"I'll feel better when we regroup with the others," said Jake.

"Well, goodnight, Mr. Good Samaritan," said Sherry.

Sherry kisses Jake on the cheek, which surprises him. Jake would have wiped his cheek in disgust, but he stopped himself. He actually... liked it. _We really need to talk_, he wondered. But he chose to save it for another time. He finds himself a comfortable spot and falls asleep. Sherry, meanwhile, secretly giggles at his reaction before sleeping herself.

* * *

A few hours later, Sherry and Jake were just sleeping as peacefully as they can. Mr. X stayed in the container. Jake's sleep is interrupted when he heard the sound of a helicopter. He wakes up and looks up. The sound is getting louder and louder. He doesn't like it.

"Sherry," Jake called. "I think..."

Jake is interrupted when something crashed right through the roof of the warehouse. It was a big metal crate. Its crashing woke up Sherry.

"What the hell?!" Sherry reacted.

"I think Umbrella found us," said Jake.

The two can hear roaring inside the crate. The crate suddenly opens, releasing what's inside. It was a man, only he's half a monster. The left half of his body is still normal, but the right half has been mutated. The right side of his body looks like his exposed innards have expanded in revolting fashion, with bone-like protrusions sprouting from beneath. The most noticeable feature is the giant blinking eyeball on his right shoulder.

"It's a G-Virus creation," Sherry recognized.

"Raccoon City flashbacks?" asked Jake.

"Yup," Sherry confirmed.

The G-Monster lets out another roar as it charges at Sherry. Jake pulls Sherry away and they both jump out of the way. The G-Monster punches nothing but a rocky floor. Jake starts shooting at it with his gun, but it was doing nothing.

"That's not going to work," said Sherry.

"Oh, yeah. How about this?" Jake challenged.

Jake shoots the huge eyeball on the G-Monster's shoulder three times. The eyeball is damaged and the man cries in pain.

"Big obvious weak spot," said Jake.

Sherry gives Jake her grenade launcher. It only has two flame rounds left.

"Keep it busy. I have to get X," said Sherry.

"Can X beat a G-Virus monstrosity?" asked Jake.

"It hasn't grown claws yet. I'm sure X can handle it," said Sherry.

"It grows claws? Great," Jake responded negatively.

The G-Monster sees a pipe through a hole in the wall. It grabs the pipe and pulls it out, using it as a weapon. Jake quickly shoots the G-Monster with a flame round, keeping it busy for the meantime.

"Hey, Mr. G! Can't handle the heat?" Jake taunted.

Sherry heads to the metal container and opens it. Mr. X steps out of the box and immediately sees the G-Monster. Jake had just wasted his last flame round, but the G-Monster was still moving closer towards him. The G-Monster whacks Jake with his pipe, knocking him down.

"X, save Jake!" Sherry ordered.

Hearing Sherry's loud voice, the G-Monster runs towards Mr. X and attempts to hit with its metal pipe. Mr. X effortlessly grabs the pipe before it hits his face. X then punches the G-Monster in its half-mutated face. Sherry runs to the injured Jake and helps him up.

"Are you okay?" asked Sherry.

"A metal pipe to the gut. I'll live," said Jake. "So, how much you wanna bet? In 15 seconds? Or 30?"

"Doesn't matter, just as long as X wins and escapes with us," said Sherry.

Mr. X punches the G-Monster a couple times in the face. X then grabs its face and slams it against the floor. X repeatedly slams its face on the floor. X then kicks the G-Monster hard while it's on the ground. The G-Monster, however, starts to mutate again. Sharp, bone-like protrusions grow out of the G-Monster's right hand. They look like claws.

The G-Monster gets up and angrily sinks its claws into Mr. X.

"X, no!" Sherry cried.

Just when it looks like Mr. X was going down, the Tyrant grabs the G-Monster's arm. Using his strength. Mr. X pulls the G-Monsters claws out of his body. Mr. X is bleeding, but he doesn't look like he cares.

"Whoa," Sherry and Jake said in awe.

Mr. X grabs the G-Monster by the throat with one hand, and uses the other hand to punch right through the G-Monster's shoulder eyeball.

"Ooh!" Sherry and Jake reacted.

"Ouch," Jake added.

As the eyeball spews out goop, Mr. X slams the G-Monster's face onto the floor one more time. Only, this time, much stronger. So strong that the G-Monster's skull cracks from the impact.

Mr. X nonchalantly walks away from the downed G-Monster and back to Sherry and Jake, who were both wowed by what they just saw.

"Just, wow," said Jake.

"X, you're bleeding," said Sherry.

To Sherry's surprise, Mr. X's wounds start to heal themselves. It was a very slow process, but there's a process. A rather unexpected one. A T-00 doesn't have regenerative abilities.

"Impossible," said Sherry. "Unless regenerative abilities are part of Dr. Newhart's improvements with the T-00. But then... who was the Tyrant that my Dad killed back in Raccoon City? Was there a second one?"

"Worry about that later," said Jake. "We gotta go."

**~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ RESIDENT EVIL ****~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X leave the warehouse. Even if the G-Monster is dead, which is no guarantee at the moment, they can't afford to stay here all night. They were about to get on the truck they stole, but...

"How did they find us?" Jake asked.

There was a BSAA-issue truck heading straight for the warehouse. The truck stops and the driver exits the vehicle.

"Sheva Alomar," the driver introduced herself.

"Chris' partner in the Kijuju outbreak?" asked Sherry.

"Indeed," Sheva confirmed.

"How did you find us?" asked Jake.

"According to the information I was given, the BSAA chipped your Tyrant friend here," said Sheva.

"He's a friendly, by the way," Sherry informed.

"I read the file," Sheva knew. "Finding you here in the middle of Norway was a pain. I was supposed to be in Africa, but the BSAA needs everyone in on this crisis. So, I thought I'd help with the search team here in Norway. Plus, I get to meet one of Raccoon City's survivors - Sherry Birkin."

"Anyone who survives Raccoon City is immediately a celebrity," Jake commented.

"And you must be Albert Wesker's son," said Sheva. "It's nice to see a Wesker on the side of good."

"Yeah, I guess it's nice," Jake admitted.

"I heard about the new Umbrella," said Sheva. "If you're going to stop them, count me in."

The four suddenly hear roaring from back at the warehouse. It was the G-Monster. While the brain of the man beneath is dead, a second head grows to take control of the half-mutated body. Its muscles pulsate as they grow bigger. Its claws grow longer. More eyeballs (big and small) grow out from its body.

"This is seriously gross," said Jake.

"Step aside," said Sheva.

Sheva steps to the front with a rocket launcher in hand. She aims at the G-Monster and fires. The G-Monster is immediately destroyed, leaving behind only a puddle of blood and guts.

"As I learned in Africa, always bring a rocket launcher, just in case," said Sheva.

"I like you already," said Jake.

"Wait, Sheva, do you have a communicator?" asked Sherry. "We need to contact our friends and let them know we're all right."

Sheva gives Sherry her BSAA communicator. Sherry quickly contacts multiple people - Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Chris Redfield. She waits impatiently for them to call. They must be worried sick about her... and Jake.

Twenty seconds later, four faces pop up on the screen. Leon. Claire. Jill. Chris.

_"Sherry?" All four of them started._

"And me," Jake said as he put himself in their view.

_"You're okay," Claire said happily._

"And so are you. All of you," Sherry said with a big smile. "Oh, and X says hi."

Sherry shows Mr. X to the others. Mr. X can only nod. Sheva keeps her distance from him. The concept of a friendly Tyrant just weirds her out.

_"You call him X?" Claire questioned._

"Mr. X, actually," said Sherry.

_"Where are you three?" asked Chris._

"Four," Sheva intervened.

"We're in Norway," said Sherry. "Where are you guys?"

_"Paris," said Ada, who showed herself through Leon's screen._

_"Ada Wong?" Chris reacted, shocked._

_"Relax, Chris. I'm on your side now," Ada assured._

_"Uh, excuse me, Ms. Lady in the Mask?" Claire responded bitterly._

_"Wait, she's the one who injected me with the P30?" Jill realized._

_"Yeah, sorry about that," Ada said with a dishonest smile._

_"We can deal with Ada later. We have a bigger problem," said Chris. "The mastermind behind the new Umbrella. Jill and I found out who it is."_

_"Who is it?" asked Leon._

_"Take a look at this file first," Chris replied._

Chris sends copies of the file he got from Jessica. The file is about Alex Wesker, Natalia Burton, and the experiment that links them.

_"Wait, what?" Claire reacted first. "But Alex Wesker is dead. Are you saying..."_

_"Her plan worked. She successfully transferred a copy of her mind in Natalia's and it took over the little girl's body," said Jill._

_"Switching minds and bodies. That's new," Ada commented._

_"How's Barry?" Claire asked, worried._

_"He knows. He and his family are not taking it well," Chris answered. "But he also told us something new. Natalia... Alex... was taken from Barry's home, by Albert Wesker."_

"What?!" Those who didn't know reacted with shock and disbelief.

_"But how can that be?" asked Leon._

_"That, we don't know," said Jill. "Barry is the only one who saw him, and that's not much to go on just yet. But if it was Albert Wesker who took Natalia, then that means Alex is done hiding and is ready to lead the new Umbrella with her brother."_

_"Well, we got another crisis incoming," said Leon. "The new Umbrella is about to drop T-Virus on Chicago like rain. It'll be Raccoon City all over again."_

_"As much as I hate to say it, the Weskers can wait," said Chris. "Right now, we need to converge on Chicago ASAP."_

_"Does that include me, Chris?" Claire asked her brother. She's testing him._

_"Only if you want to," said Chris._

_Claire smiles and says, "Then I'll be there."_

"Jake, X, and I will meet you there," said Sherry.

"And me," Sheva reminded.

"And Sheva," Sherry corrected.

_"When this is over, Sheva, if we make it, we need to have a serious talk about sharing details about our final battle with Wesker," Chris said seriously._

"Is this about the boulder? I was just making sure not to leave out a single detail," Sheva teased.

Chris sighs, annoyed, and logs off. Everyone else giggles before ending the call.

"Why is he so embarrassed about that?" Jake asked.

"You can ask him when we see him in Chicago," said Sherry.

Sheva returns to her truck while Sherry and Jake load Mr. X onto the stolen truck. Sherry and Jake follow Sheva to a place where the BSAA can provide aerial transportation that will take them to Chicago.

**I know I've referenced the "Chris punches a boulder" thing many times in this story, but I just couldn't resist when I finally introduced Sheva into this story. Remember, in my story, it was Sheva who shared the boulder-related details with Jill, Claire, and others.**

**So, I finally added another little moment between Sherry and Jake. Looking forward to adding more in future chapters.**

**...**

**A/N: In the Resident Evil 2 Remake, there was a question about how Mr. X was still chasing Leon in the lab during the Leon's route when Mr. X was killed by William Birkin in Claire's route. For the sake of keeping the RE2 Remake's story canon in my own story (just like the part where Sherry wanted Leon and Claire to adopt her), let's just pretend that there were two Tyrants in the remake. Let's pretend that the Mr. X that chased Claire and Sherry in the orphanage is Mr. X #2, while the Mr. X who chased Leon and Claire in the police station is Mr. X #1.**


	12. A Face from the Past

**In the last chapter, most of our favorite heroes managed to finally contact each other and share vital information. Before we get to the super crazy stuff, let's check back with Chris and Jill. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for the most recent reviews: evolution-500, Belleredfield, RyuujiVantek**

**_To Belleredfield_: Thanks for understanding my progress with Leon's story. Maybe I could've done a better job with his internal struggle, but I'm doing this the best way I can. I guess I can try to give more focus on Claire's feelings next time. Romance is simultaneously the easiest and hardest part when it comes to writing for me, especially when it comes to Resident Evil.**

**_To RyuujiVantek_: The criticism is fine. As I said, I'm having trouble finding balance with Nemesis fight scenes, especially when it's him against humans (except for Jill, since she's infected with the P30 at the moment).**

After escorting the Burton family to a BSAA facility, Jill and Chris prepare for their trip to Chicago. If the Wesker siblings infect the city before they get there, the horrors of Raccoon City will plague more than just one are. There will be mass panic. Bioterrorists from all everywhere will be encouraged. The world will be plunged into viral chaos. The metal picture of such a catastrophe troubles those who have tasked themselves to fight against this type of threat. Question is, can they stop this in time? If not, then how far will this go?

Jill is inside an office that she used for herself for the time being. All she's done in the past hour is look at the pictures of Albert Wesker and Alex Wesker on a big screen monitor. Just when you though the horrors of the Wesker family have ended... it never did.

"Jill," someone called.

It was Chris.

"Barry's wondering why you missed out on dinner," Chris started. "But I'm guessing you have too much to think about to be hungry."

Jill sighs in response. A lot of emotions can be read from that sigh. Worry. Mental exhaustion. Sorrow.

"We'll stop them, Jill," Chris assured. "We did it before. We'll do it again. The two of them working together doesn't change a thing. They may have each other, but we have the entire BSAA on our side."

"It's not just about Wesker, Chris," said Jill.

"Is it about what will happen to us?" asked Chris. "Avoiding death is easier said than done, but none of us are planning on dying, Jill."

"Dying is the only thing I'm worried about. It's about what our lives mean if this is indeed our final fight," Jill said somberly.

"What are you saying, Jill? Are you trying to say that our lives meant nothing?" asked Chris.

"No," said Jill. "What we've done for most of our lives, fighting bioterrorism, it was worth it because of what we've done for the world. Who knows how worse it would've been if the BSAA never existed?"

"Then what is it about our lives that worry you?" asked Chris.

"I'm worried that we've wasted too much time of our lives," Jill answered. "Umbrella. The BSAA. Rehab. I always wonder if I should blame all of that... or if I should blame myself."

"Jill, please, you're scaring me," said Chris. "What is..."

"You and me, Chris," Jill answered quickly.

Chris freezes after hearing this answer. "You and me." Him and Jill. The two of them. But what does she mean? Chris can't help but feel that maybe he already knows, but he's hesitant to say anything. Worse, Jill is looking at him with a yearning but worrying look in her eyes.

"Jill, I... what do you want me to say?" Chris asked, unsure of a proper response.

"I don't know. Maybe that you agree with me," said Jill. "How long have we known each other, Chris? Twenty years?"

"Almost our whole lives, basically," said Chris.

"And I've treasured every minute we spent together," Jill said with a little smile. However, she dropped that smile and said, "But not in the right way."

"Are you saying you wanted more?" Chris guessed carefully.

"Don't you?" Jill asked him in return.

"Wasted time," Chris repeated what his partner said earlier. "The job was never fulfilling enough, was it?"

"It fulfilled our need for a purpose in life, but not our lives as a whole," said Jill. "Chris, we've been at this for too long. I don't plan on dying either, but I would hate for our next fight to be our last. That's because we never got our chance. Have we been too busy to try, or have we been too hesitant with each other?"

"I wanna say we were too busy... but my gut's telling me it's the second thing," Chris admitted. "Pretending that there was never time in between all the battles..."

"Or back in Raccoon City," said Jill. "We were so young. We feel even more free back then. Even though we lived in a corrupt city, meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

"Jill, even if I can admit what we're both implying, what are you asking of this?" asked Chris.

Jill puts both arms around Chris, pulling him closer, allowing both of them to look at one another very closely. Every subtle sign of emotion on their faces. Every blink of their eyes.

"That's the problem. What I'm asking for can only wait until after Chicago, no matter how much I wish we can have it now," said Jill.

"Then tell me," said Chris.

"I'd rather show," said Jill.

Jill closes her eyes and leans closer until her lips met Chris'. Despite the initial shock, Chris didn't protest or back away. His own eyes close as he returns the favor. Somehow, this feels right. In fact, it feels like it was long overdue. Way long overdue. He can tell that Jill must feel the same way. She wanted to keep going, and he couldn't deny the mutual feeling.

Barry was about to enter the office, since the door was slightly open, only to stop and cover his mouth when he saw what's going on inside.

Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield... kissing.

"About damn time," Barry whispered, proud of his two best friends.

Deciding he has no business being here, Barry leaves them alone. He quietly backs away from the office door. He slowly turns around, only to freeze when he saw a woman in a mask holding a gun towards him.

"Hey, Barry," she said.

"What the hell?" Barry uttered quietly.

"Enjoying the show in there?" The woman said, referring to the kissing session in the office. "Parker said Chris was already taken. I can see that's indeed the case."

"Wesker sent you, didn't he?" asked Barry.

The woman quickly shoves a respirator onto Barry's face, spraying his nose and mouth with some kind of sleeping agent, making sure he can't call or shout for help. Barry falls unconscious in a few seconds.

"Oh, and don't worry about your family. They're all asleep as well," said the woman.

The woman takes off her mask - and those who see her would recognize her as Jessica - and sneaks towards the open office door with a grenade in her hand. She pulls the pin and throws it inside. It wasn't a normal grenade or any type of explosive. No, the grenade releases sleeping gas. Chris and Jill were too busy kissing to notice, even though they heard some noises. When the gas started filling up the room, they started to sense something off.

"Are you tired?" Jill rambled.

"Kinda," said Chris.

Before they could fully open their eyes, Jill and Chris fainted. Jessica enters the room, with a mask to protect herself from the gas, and looks down at the two BSAA legends just lying on the floor. She playfully pinches Chris' cheek. He doesn't respond. He and Jill are both out cold.

"Congratulations on your first kiss, but I'm afraid this will have to be your last," said Jessica.

* * *

Jill starts to regain unconsciousness. The first thing on her mind is, "What happened?" One minute, she was finally showing Chris how she really feels. The next, her nose picks up something that makes her fall and fall asleep. _Sleeping gas_, she thought. _Wait, Chris was in there with me._ Jill realizes that her hands are handcuffed and she's in a cell of some sort. A gate with metal bars.

"Chris!" Jill called.

"Don't worry about Chris. He's fine... for now," said a scary but familiar voice.

"Wesker," Jill recognized.

Coming out of the shadows and into the light is a familiar face. A face that Jill thought she would never see again except in her nightmares. But those dark shades and that cold voice are hard to ignore. It's him.

Albert Wesker.

"And I wouldn't try to escape. Your cuffs are designed to hold a human enhanced by the P30," said Albert. "I must say, I'm impressed. The Nemesis is one of Umbrella's most formidable creations. You defeated the original without the P30, but with it, you took advantage of it."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to abuse power like you," said Jill. "Now, where's Chris?"

"Right next to you," Albert answered.

He meant the cell right next to Jill. Jill faces the wall to her left and starts shouting.

"Chris! Chris?! Chris, can you hear me?" She called again.

In the cell right next to her, Chris is on the floor, unconscious. The sound of Jill's voice wakes him up. He hears her voice coming from behind the wall to his right. He then realizes that he's in a cell of some sort

"Jill, is that you?" asked Chris.

"Oh, thank God you're all right," Jill said with relief.

"Where are we?" asked Chris.

"Chicago," Albert answered.

"Wesker," Chris growled with hate and anger. "How are you alive?! We finished you."

"Indeed, you did finish me at the volcano," said Wesker.

"Then how are you alive?" asked Jill.

"You have me to thank for that," said a young female's voice.

Another familiar face comes out of the shadows. It looks like Barry's adopted daughter, Natalia. But Jill and Chris now know it's really her. The black dress that "Natalia" is wearing and the devious look in her eyes are two indicators that this is not the sweet girl that Barry met in Sushestvovanie Island. She's 15 years old now, but the occupier of her mind keeps the two BSAA vets from admiring her growth.

"Natalia... or should I say Alex Wesker?" Jill said.

"I don't know how you found out, but I'm quite pleased you did," said Natalia (Alex Wesker). "The _Natalia_ charade was fun while it lasted, but I grew tired of waiting."

"Do you have any idea how devastated Barry and his family are?" Jill asked angrily. "The past three years. The birthdays and holidays we spent... Natalia was never there, was she?"

"Oh, she was there... for a short while," said Alex. "But she lost the battle. Natalia is no more. Her mind is all mine."

"Are you sure about that?" Chris questioned.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here," said Alex.

"And now you and your brother are reunited and planning on ruining the world together, I assume," said Chris.

"How did you even bring him back?" asked Jill.

"Simple. A copy of his mind in a brand new body. A body cloned using genetic material from the original," Alex answered. "Albert and I, we don't usually eye to eye. I proposed an idea that would allow him and myself to achieve immortality. He declined. But after a short talk, he agreed to lend me a piece of his mind."

"My body died, but my mind still lives," said Albert. "This experiment proved beneficial for me after all, wouldn't you agree?"

"When we get out of these cages, you're gonna wish you stayed dead," Chris threatened.

"When you get out of those cages, you're gonna be too busy to deal with me," said Albert.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jill. "Wait, you said we're in Chicago?"

Alex turns on a giant screen monitor in the room. It's tracking the number of deaths in Chicago caused by the T-Virus. Jill and Chris realize they're too late. The number is rising and rising by the second.

"The deed has been done," said Alex. "Come tomorrow, Chicago will know of what Raccoon City had suffered. But don't worry. Albert and I have no intention of killing the two of you. If anything, we'll give you both a fighting chance. To live or die knowing you failed."

"A quick death is too good for the two of you," said Albert. "I do honestly wish you would survive tomorrow's chaos. After all, Chris, you and I have a score to settle."

"And we'll settle it sooner than you think," said Chris.

Albert decides to speed up to Chris' cell and starts choking Chris. Jill desperately tries to break out of her handcuffs, they were too strong, even with her enhanced strength.

"You destroyed my plans. You ruined global perfection. Believe me, I am so tempted to end you here, but suffering first suits you," Albert said vengefully. "Kennedy. Birkin. Muller. Your sister. When they all come here, you are going to watch them struggle and fall. And I will be watching every second of it. To see you lose everything before you lose your life, it will only make my success much more gratifying."

"_Our_ success, Albert," Alex corrected.

"Pardon me for my mistake," Albert deadpanned.

Albert lets go of Chris. Chris coughs from the choking, but he's very much okay... if you don't count being locked in a cell and being told that your sister is about to be met with terror once she enters the city.

"If you hurt Claire, I swear..." Chris said angrily.

"I don't need to. She either survives or she fails to protect herself," said Albert.

"C'mon, Albert. Let's see to it that tomorrow transpires just as planned," said Alex.

Albert follows his sister out of the room, leaving Jill and Chris alone. The two could not be angrier than they already are. Locked in an underground prison somewhere in Chicago with no way out knowing that their friends have no idea that the outbreak they intended to stop has already begun. Chris punches the bars in anger, while Jill collapses to her knees. Chris sits down to breathe. Taking his anger out on the iron bars is not going to help him or Jill or anyone. But being stuck here and unable to do anything until the Weskers let him out is maddening.

"Wrong place, wrong time," Jill whimpered.

"What are you talking about, Jill?" asked Chris.

"Wesker got the drop on us because of our... moment together," said Jill. "We didn't see him coming."

"No, Jill, you can't blame yourself. I'm not blaming you or myself either. It's all Wesker," said Chris.

"All I wanted was to finally show you - tell you - the truth," Jill said sadly. "And now we're sitting in cages like animals, waiting to be let out by someone who is worse than an animal."

"Jill," Chris interrupted.

Jill stops talking. She's worrying Chris, and she doesn't need him worrying about her when he should be worrying about his sister.

"Jill, I... I don't regret what happened," Chris admitted.

"Neither do I," Jill replied. "But this isn't how I wanted to spend our time together before the outbreak. And now, it's too late. Chicago is about to be gone, and all we can do is sit and think. Wesker took away all of our weapons. I can't even get out of these restraints. Wesker designed them specifically for someone like me and him. So much for the Master of Unlocking. "

"Jill, don't lose hope," Chris pleaded. "I almost lost it years ago, but I realized there was no point. No matter how bad things get, no matter how many times things don't go your way, what you can't do is lie down and give up."

"I'm not giving up, Chris," said Jill. "I just hate that we finally had the moment we both have been waiting for, only to wind up here."

"I'm sorry, Jill," Chris apologized.

"For what?" asked Jill.

"That it took this long," Chris answered sadly.

"I'm sorry, too," said Jill.

The two begin to calm down, despite being scared and worried about what's coming. Wesker ruined their moment, but they refuse to let him break them. Hopeless as the situation may be, they can't think negatively right now.

"Claire and the others, do you think they'll be okay?" asked Chris.

"Raccoon City. Rockfort. Los Illuminados. Neo-Umbrella. T-Phobos. I think we have more than enough reasons to believe they will be," Jill said positively.

"When we get out of here, and we will, after we take down Wesker's family, what do you wanna do?" asked Chris.

"I was thinking a vacation to Europe. At a beach. Under an umbrella, if you know what I mean," said Jill.

Chris chuckled.

Now may not be the time to be thinking about a vacation, but Jill and Chris only have each other to keep their spirits up until a miracle happens. One thing's for sure, though. The wait is over for the both of them.

**Vacation. Europe. Umbrella. I'm pretty sure everyone who has played Resident Evil 2 might know what Jill was referring to.**

**But finally! I debated with myself on when I should give Jill and Chris this big moment (right before they were captured). Should I do it now? Should I wait until much later in the story? Well, I've settled the self-debate and here we are... ****It makes me feel bad for what I'm about to do when they reunite with the others.**


	13. Tyrant: Round Two

**Things were not looking good in the previous chapter, huh? Well, things might get worse here. Back to Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X we go. It's time for something special.**

**Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for the most recent reviews: Scarease, evolution-500, PetalNork**

_"This is Georgina Wilson reporting live from Chicago. Bioterrorism has struck the city. Hundreds - maybe thousands - have been infected and are turning into zombies. Over 200 casualties have been reported as a result of these zombies. If you have not been infected, please get out of the city now! Military assistance will be heading here hopefully soon. Don't eat or drink anything. Don't get bitten. Just get out!"_

Sherry quickly turns off her phone.

"We're too late," she said worriedly.

"All we can do is keep it from spreading outside the city," said Jake.

"Raccoon all over again," Sherry said sadly.

"It won't be just the two of us. We got your buddies, the BSAA, and hopefully the military," said Jake. "And our friend in the back."

Jake and Sherry are riding a BSAA truck with Mr. X sitting in the rear, covered in large blankets to avoid detection. He doesn't seem to mind, though. He's just sitting there, still.

"The BSAA has already been informed that X is on our side. It's gonna be hard convincing the military, though," said Sherry.

"Then we hide him and lure zombies to where he is," Jake suggested.

"We'll see when we get to Chicago," said Sherry.

A few minutes later, Sherry and Jake are just half a mile away from the Chicago's border. Just as they were about to enter the zombie-infested city, an explosion comes out of nowhere and flips the truck over. Sherry and Jake were tossed out of their seats and land safely(?) on the road. Mr. X, meanwhile, crashes into a building along with the truck.

"What the hell was that?!" Jake asked.

Jake's question is answered when an 8-foot-tall bioweapon jumps right at them. It's the Nemesis, armed with a rocket launcher, which must be what he used to total their ride.

"Sherry," Nemesis growled.

"Redfield and Valentine reported that this thing attacked them, right?" Jake recalled.

"Yup," said Sherry.

"Did the report also mention a rocket launcher?" asked Jake.

"Yup," Sherry answered.

"Huh. Must've gotten himself a new one then," said Jake.

"Move!" Sherry yelled.

Sherry and Jake get up and start running. Nemesis aims and fires. The rocket misses the two, but the blast sends them flying into the building where the truck crashed.

"Umbrella improving on the original? The original was already a headache," Jake commented.

Fortunately, Mr. X has just dug himself out of the rubble. He sees Nemesis and quickly(?) approaches the armed bioweapon. Sherry and Jake draw their weapons just in case. Unfortunately, they only have handguns, which are useless against Nemesis.

"Search the truck. Let's hope our weapons survived the crash," said Sherry.

"Wait, isn't X vulnerable to rocket launchers?" asked Jake.

"You're right," Sherry realized. "Quick! We gotta unarm Nemesis."

Mr. X stomps his way towards Nemesis, unaware of what that rocket launcher would do to him. Nemesis lines up his shot. He makes sure that the bright red dot emitting from the rocket launcher's targeting system is pointing directly at Mr. X's head.

"Hey, Knockoff!" Sherry shouted.

Sherry throws a grenade right at Nemesis. It blows up. It barely staggered Nemesis, but he dropped his rocket launcher. As the smoke fades from the explosion, the first thing Nemesis sees is a gloved fist accelerating towards his face. Mr. X follows it up with another punch to Nemesis' disfigured face. Before Nemesis can retaliate, Mr. X claps his hands hard on both sides of Nemesis' face, stunning him for a few seconds. This is long enough for Mr. X to wind up and throw an even harder punch, knocking Nemesis down.

Being the most resilient bioweapon that he is, Nemesis gets up and starts using speed. He punches Mr. X five times in the face. He grabs Mr. X's trench coat and slams the hat-wearing Tyrant down on his back. Nemesis punches the downed Mr. X in the face repeatedly, making sure he doesn't get up.

Just as Nemesis was about to grab his rocket launcher, he starts getting hit by a hail of bullets.

Sherry and Jake are both handling a minigun, using it to keep Nemesis busy enough for Mr. X to get back on his feet.

"You don't like that, do you?" Jake taunted.

"X, this one's for you!" Sherry called.

Jake and Sherry toss the minigun towards Mr. X. If Nemesis is gonna have a weapon, then it's fair that Mr. X does as well. Jake thought that Sherry brought a minigun in case of a hoard of zombies. Nope, it was for this rematch against Nemesis.

"Now it's a fair fight," said Sherry.

"Uh, for X, maybe. But us..." Jake pointed the other way.

A horde of zombies arrive and are walking Jake and Sherry's way. What Jake originally though the minigun was for has arrived. Good thing that these zombies are vulnerable to regular gunshots. They take several steps back as they unload as many bullets as they can on the zombies' foreheads.

"Guess we'll be occupied," said Jake.

"Try not to get grabbed. X's protective instincts will kick in and we need him focused on Nemesis," said Sherry.

Mr. X picks up the minigun and starts shooting Nemesis. Nemesis is overwhelmed by the abundance of bullets coming towards him at such a rapid rate. Mr. X walks forward slowly as he keeps his minigun trained on his opponent. Nemesis, meanwhile, is still trying to retrieve his rocket launcher. It's hard to do that with the minigun threatening to throw him off balance.

Despite losing balance, Nemesis shields himself with one arm while he grabs the rocket launcher off the ground with his other hand. However, Mr. X's minigun bombardment was affecting both his balance and his aim. Nemesis aims as well as he can and pulls the trigger on his rocket launcher.

"No!" Sherry cried upon sight of the launched rocket.

To Sherry and Jake's shock, Mr. X simply moves his head to the right. The missile completely misses him and it hits the horde of zombies that were heading for Sherry and Jake. Mr. X proceeds firing at Nemesis as he walks closer. Nemesis has to reboot the rocket launcher before firing again, much to his chagrin. Mr. X runs out of ammo for the minigun as he was only a foot away from his opponent. Mr. X holds the minigun like a baseball bat and swings it at Nemesis' face five times. Nemesis uses his own rocket launcher the same way, hitting Mr. X in the face and the stomach. Mr. X grabs the rocket launcher during the third swing and knocks it off Nemesis' hand with his minigun.

"Doesn't it worry you that he can't beat Nemesis in a fist fight?" asked Jake.

"Well, Nemesis is meant to be the superior Tyrant, and that's why X is lucky to have us," said Sherry. "Go give it to him, X!"

Mr. X holds his minigun in one hand and the rocket launcher in the other. He smashes both weapons against Nemesis' face and then clobbers him on the top of the head with the rocket launcher. Mr. X pulls back and strikes Nemesis right in the chest with both weapons, knocking him away. Mr. X then aims the rocket launcher at Nemesis and launches.

The rocket hits Nemesis. It doesn't kill him, but it sets him on fire and causes him to faint.

"He's not dead," said Jake.

"You got a railgun?" Sherry asked jokingly. "X, let's go!"

Mr. X puts down the minigun, but decides to keep the rocket launcher. It's still loaded, so it could be useful. He carries it over his should as he follows Sherry and Jake into the zombie-infested city. They have other problems besides Nemesis.

Speaking of which...

* * *

Once Sherry, Jake, and Mr. X were far away from the downed bioweapon, someone comes out of a dark alleyway. This person looks at the Nemesis, still lying down on his face and burning slowly. This person has been observing the rematch between the two Tyrants. He shakes his head in disappointment, displeased by what he witnessed.

"Dr. Newhart was so insistent on applying the cerebral upgrades to the T-00 and neglected you," he said to the monster. "Clearly, you are still superior in terms of strength and speed, but this... X... is able to best you with the right help. Ms. Birkin and my... son... keep you from proving yourself as the dominant bioweapon. Do not fret, Nemesis. Once you rise up, I will give you the advantage."

Nemesis reacts to this person's words with a slight head movement. He may be down and on fire, but he is definitely not down for good.

**This chapter was intended to be short, because I decided to save the zombie infestation madness for the next chapter. We'll check back on Leon, Claire, and Ada in that chapter, but they'll be joined by others. So, the next chapter isn't necessarily a Leon and Claire chapter, but I'm gonna keep it mostly focused on them so it feels like it... for the sake of balance.**

**I am having a lot of fun writing Mr. X vs. Nemesis fight scenes. I still worry if I'm not making Nemesis powerful enough, but I am personally satisfied with what I'm giving. Remember, Nemesis can beat Mr. X in a one-on-one fist fight. It's because of Sherry and Jake's help that Mr. X got the upper hand. But is that such a bad thing? Everyone needs help, don't they? I will tell you this... this is not the last time Mr. X and Nemesis will meet.**


End file.
